A Month of HitsuKarin
by signifytheworld
Summary: A oneshot a day for every HitsuKarin meeting, every HitsuKarin moment. All their adventures, little mishaps, and what-could-have-beens. -Thirty-second chapter- All the Pretty Things Pt. 2 -All the small moments in their lives- the birthdays, the interlopers, the parenthood- all mixed into. Let's finish with a bang.- COMPLETE
1. Science & Faith

**Science & Faith- August 10, 2012**

**World: Anime/Manga**

**Summary: Karin shares what she's learned today in a college lecture. Based on 'Science and Faith' by The Script.**

…

Karin snuggled deeper into Toshiro's chest. "Guess what I learned today, Toshiro?"

Toshiro's chest rumbled slightly as he hummed in confirmation. Karin stared back at the flickering television screen and continued her monologue. "Well, you know how one of my classes is about psychology and stuff? Well, today we learned about the science behind love."

Toshiro stayed silent and his eyes remained closed. Karin still talked, knowing her boyfriend was still attentively listening. "I found out that it takes roughly between ninety seconds and four minutes to determine whether you like someone. Our professor told us that there were three main steps."

She paused, trying to recover her memory from the morning lecture. "I remember the first part was lust," she hesitated. "That was when the pheromones raged and all that good sexy tension builds up. The second step was attraction. I kind of forgot, but I think it had something to do with adrenaline and dopamine. What was that word? It had something to do with the brain and it communicates something. Uh… n-ne. Neu-"

"Neurotransmitters?"

"Yeah that!" Karin looked at her tired lover. "How'd you know?"

"I learned it when I stayed over before the Winter War."

"Oh. Well anyway, all that neuro-stuff is how you get goose bumps and your heart beating faster when you see someone you like. And then, the dopamine gives couples that 'love struck' feeling."

Karin stopped for a little and snuggled deeper to get comfortable. "Can you get that blanket over there? I'm getting cold."

Toshiro reached for the brown blanket and draped it over them.

"And then," Karin continued, digging herself deeper into the depths of the blanket, "oxytocin produces that attachment feeling. Like you know, when mothers get all sassy when it comes to defending their children?"

Toshiro chuckled slightly. "Are you going to be like those mothers, Karin?"

"Hell yeah. I'll be all up in their asses making sure my good-looking children get the royalty treatment."

They laughed together and smiled. "You know," started Toshiro, "you can't break _everything _down to chemicals."

Karin gazed in his sea-green eyes, doubt obvious in her eyes. "Why not? Didn't they teach all that brain stuff when you were here too?"

"Yeah, but I don't think that our love can be explained in just three steps."

Karin raised a single eyebrow and frowned. "What do you mean? That whole process totally explained what happened to us."

"It doesn't," Toshiro insisted.

Sitting up, Karin crossed her arms and looked at the gigai her boyfriend was currently in. "Yeah it is. Science says so."

"Well, whatever it is," he rambled, growing closer to Karin and lifting her face to his, "your biology teacher won't be able to explain my love for you."

"Too much cheese, Toshiro," Karin groaned, pushing his hand away and falling into the couch. "All those romantic comedies Yuzu made us watch made you delirious."

The emerald-eyed shinigami chuckled. "I'm not joking. How can I have neurotransmitters or chemicals if I'm dead? How is it possible that I've developed feelings for you?"

Karin paused. "I don't know," she said truthfully. "Maybe it's that red string of fate."

"I'll tell you why. It's because _I_ decided to. It's not the chemicals, it's not the red string of destiny, it's because I decided to fall in love with you."

Karin peered at her boyfriend curiously. "What's wrong with you? You're awfully cheesy today."

Toshiro groaned. Sometimes, it was very hard to please his girlfriend.

...

**Hey (: Welcome to "A Year Of HitsuKarin!" This will be a bunch of random little ficlets I think of- some fluffy (like this one), some depressing. In addition, I'll be updating every day! Can you imagine? Every day is full of HitsuKarin! (except for the days I don't have my beloved internet connection D:)**

**This is just a side project so my readers will have something to read if I don't update in a while. (hehe.) But please enjoy and tell me what you think by dropping a review!**


	2. Cables and Connections

**Cables and Connections- August 11, 2012**

**World: AU**

**Summary: He sure as hell didn't become a cable specialist to fix the television three times a week for his raven-haired neighbor, especially on a Saturday.**

…

A knock arrived at his door. He turned his attention away from the newspaper in his hands and set down his cup of coffee. Toshiro groaned slightly. If the person on his doorstep was his raven-haired neighbor again, he didn't know what he would do…

Toshiro opened the door.

"Hello! We have this new product that can make your skin fresher and cleaner! Would you like-"

_Slam. _

So it wasn't his neighbor. Door-to-door salesmen were just as bad, though. He grumbled incoherently before walking to the kitchen to pour himself yet another cup of coffee.

Heavy knocks thumped at the door once more. The irritated man cursed before opened the door, his heart set on getting rid of the salesman.

"If you didn't figure it out already, I don't want-"

"Yo, Toshiro!"

His sea-green eyes widened. "What are you doing here, Kurosaki? Where's that salesman?"

"Huh? He went away," Karin grinned, scratching her head slightly. "I kind of need help with my TV again. You see-"

"Damn it, Kurosaki! How many times do you need help setting up your damn television? This is your third time!"

"No, no," Karin smiled, obviously enjoying the banter, "I already know how to set it up after you showed me. But it won't work! Can you come over to help me?"

Toshiro glared at her with a critical eye. "Just because I'm a cable specialist and your neighbor doesn't mean you automatically have a lapdog to fix all your damn technology problems."

"Yeah, yeah. I know," Karin said, waving away the insult, "But there's a soccer game on today and I really need help! Please?"

Toshiro sighed. "Can't you just call someone else? It's my day off."

Karin pouted. "But I don't know anyone as trustworthy as you. Please?"

"No. It's my day off. Have a good day, Kurosaki," said Toshiro, closing the door as he spoke.

"No! Wait!" Karin wedged herself in between the door and the wall before tugging on his shirt gently.

"No! Get someone else to do your work!"

"Please, Toshiro! The game's really important to me! It starts in twenty minutes! I can't find anybody that quickly!"

"Why don't I just recommend someone then?"

"Because he won't get here in time! Please, please, please?"

Toshiro exhaled exasperatedly. "Fine. Just let me get my stuff. Just wait in front of the door and don't walk around." He glared at her before going to his workroom to retrieve his stuff. "I repeat. Don't. Walk. Around."

Karin smiled innocently. "Okay! I'll wait here!"

…

Toshiro growled to himself as he threw his things into his toolbox. It was always like this- she came over and disrupted his mornings, his conversations, _his_ peaceful life. When that woman moved into the house next to him that had been abandoned for _years_ and came over only two weeks after she moved in, he knew that his life was going to get crazy. With all the sounds of trucks backing up and hammers, Toshiro couldn't relax while the house was being remodeled. And now that the house was remodeled, she came over constantly to ask for sugar, butter, blankets, and whatever else she needed. It was so troublesome to cater to her.

And yet he always did it for her. And he had yet to know why.

But besides that, when Toshiro came back into the living room, he spotted Karin on _his _couch, drinking _his _coffee, and pressing the buttons on _his _television remote. "Kurosaki!" He admonished, secretly reprimanding himself for knowing that the Kurosaki could not stand still.

Karin looked over her shoulder. "Hey Toshiro! How do you work this TV remote? I can't get it to work."

Toshiro rubbed his temple callously. "Let's go get this done and over with."

"Wait, why don't I just watch it here? I mean, I'm here anyways. And the game starts-"

"No! I mean… I already got my stuff ready. Knowing you, you've probably just disconnected something carelessly. Let's just go to your house." God forbid Toshiro spend two more hours with her…

Karin shrugged. "Whatever floats your boat." She sashayed out of the house and Toshiro was left watching her. He didn't know what type of misfortunes would befall him with that woman next door.

Sighing, he scurried out the door, dashing after the grey-eyed Kurosaki.

…

"Hm. It doesn't look like anything's wrong. Try turning it on."

"Okay," Karin complied, taking the remote in her hands and attempting to turn it on. When it didn't turn on, she turned to the ivory-haired boy. "See? I told you it didn't work!"

"I know, I know," Toshiro said. "I didn't say I doubted your words, I was just asking for you to try to turn it on. I'll see what's wrong with it."

Toshiro carefully examined the cables and the plugs. When he spotted one that was disconnected, his eyes lit up. "Aha," he cried, plunging his hand and fishing around for the cord.

"What? Did you get it?"

"Yeah," Toshiro nodded, plugging the cable into the electrical plug. "Try it now."

Karin pressed the button and watched her television flicker on. "It worked! It worked! Thanks, Toshiro!"

And proceeded to reward his hard work with a hug. While Toshiro blushed and attempted to hide it, Karin was already on her couch, flipping through the channels for her soccer game.

Toshiro quietly packed up his stuff and started to leave before the slender figure stopped him. "Wait," she said, her voice soft. "Do you… want to watch the game with me? I can make us something for lunch afterwards so you don't have to worry about it…" Her words trailed off, leaving an open-ended invitation for him.

Toshiro looked towards her in surprise. He really hadn't expected it. His neighbor didn't really seem like the type to open up her household so generously. So when she did, with eyes that looked like they were scared of rejection, he couldn't do anything to refuse. Toshiro smiled radiantly. "I'd love to."

…

**Whew! I'm done (: **

**I hope you enjoy this installment because I spent quite a while on it. If I spend this amount of time every day, I don't know what I'll do about school when it comes around -.-**

**Please review. It means the world to me. ^^**


	3. Morning Kisses

**Morning Kisses- August 12, 2012**

**World: Anime/Manga**

**Summary: She may toss and turn, drool on his new shirt, and hog the blankets, but he would endure anything for those morning kisses.**

…

When she sleeps, she twists and turns. Toshiro can't get comfortable because her body lies all over the place. He groans silently as he attempts, once again, to sneak away from the legs that poke at his ribs.

The next time he wakes, his wife is cuddled next to him, clutching at his shirt and holding it close to her face. He realizes that she's drooling on his newly-washed pajama shirt.

He wakes once more, for the third time that night, because he's cold. Although popular belief says that his zanpakuto allows him to feel no cold, he does. He shivers as he realizes that his wife has taken all the blankets and left him to freeze on the bed. He slugs out of bed to get a blanket from the drawer and when he comes back, he realizes Karin has taken up the entire bed. He makes room for himself and snuggles under the blanket.

His eyes drift open to see his loving wife peck a morning kiss on his chapped lips.

"Go to sleep for a few more minutes," she says, rolling out of bed and grabbing a robe off the hanger.

He smiles. She's never missed a day.

…

**Aww. Short little drabble for all you HitsuKarin lovers. I hope you enjoyed.**

**Please review if you liked it. I would really appreciate it if you did. Thanksies! (:**


	4. Romantic Moments

**Romantic Moments- August 13, 2012**

**World: AU**

**Summary: Being a romantic is something she was never good at.**

…

Kissing in the Rain

When the opportunity presents itself, she tries it. She remembers seeing it in the romantic comedies Yuzu makes her watch, so she goes for it. Drenched in rain, she leans over to her lover, lifts her hands to his cheeks, and attempts to kiss him head on.

She sneezes on him instead and the next day, both of them are suffering from colds.

Karin tries to be optimistic. At least they're suffering _together._

Horror Movies

She attempts to flaunt her femininity by going to his house and bringing the most disgusting horror movie to watch so that she has a reason to cuddle with him when she's scared.

She not only discovers that she's not scared, but her boyfriend seems more disgusted than she. Her mouth almost gapes in embarrassment when the movie ends and her boyfriend asks her-

"You like this kind of stuff?"

Skiing

Karin knows her boyfriend loves the snow, so she treats them to a ski resort. She watches happily as he snowboards down the slope and smirks at her whenever he feels like he's done something amazing.

In his good mood, Toshiro treats them to a meal not too far away from the resort. They genuinely enjoy the food and talk the entire time- glad to be in each other's company.

That is- until they realize that the shrimp was bad. And even though the restaurant apologized and gave them a 50% discount on their next meal, Karin knows (her head light and her stomach growling uneasily) that they won't eat there again.

Baseball Games

Her boyfriend treats her to a baseball game. During halftime, the kiss cam goes on and Karin almost cusses when it lands on her and Toshiro. In her panic, she reaches for the man on the left to her and kisses him smack dab on the lips. She feels triumphant as she pulls away until she realizes the stadium is dead silent.

That's when it hits her. Toshiro is on the _right._

Oranges

They go pick for oranges in the orchards nearby. She smiles as she tosses one through the branches of the tree to Toshiro, who skillfully catches it and smirks right back at her. To her, it almost feels like they're married. Karin climbs the branches until she finds the perfect orange and twists it from the tree. She passes it once more before telling her boyfriend to come closer.

She finds footholds in stable branches below her while her lover calls for her safety. Karin sees her boyfriend is directly below her. She takes her chances and tries to kiss her boyfriend while swinging like a monkey.

Her hands slip and her weight comes crashing down on his body.

They groan at the same time, albeit for different reasons.

Pajamas

Karin's donned in a long shirt when opening the door to her boyfriend. Her eyes are double-lidded as she attempts to wake up to see her lover without the blurriness. She sees he's brought yogurt, fruit, and granola and suddenly, she's not tired anymore.

Her boyfriend jokes with her as he opens the yogurt and prepares breakfast for them. She watches his skillful hands and smiles radiantly.

As they eat, Karin spot a small yogurt smear on the side of his cheek. She takes her thumb and wipes it off before drying her hand on a napkin. She gazes into his confident green eyes and smiles.

They lean in for a kiss together and everything fits just like a jigsaw puzzle.

So maybe she's actually not that bad at being romantic.

…

**I hope you enjoyed this! It's really just more fluff, but I hope you enjoy it anyways.**

**Please review (: I'd really like to know your thoughts about it. ^^**


	5. Mathematics

Mathematics- August 14, 2012

**World: Anime/Manga**

**Summary: There are some things even a genius soul reaper can't do- at first.**

…

"Hey, Toshiro?"

"Hn?"

Karin swerved her chair around to face the white-haired shinigami on her bed. "You're a genius, right?"

Toshiro sat up, crossed his legs, and peered at her curiously. "Yeah. How come?"

"Well," Karin started, "I have a math problem I need to solve. Can you help me?"

"I don't know. I've never learned mathematics."

Karin's jaw dropped. "Never learned mathematics? Are you insane? They require it in every freaking school you go to! How have you not learned math?"

He shrugged carelessly. "They don't require it in the Shino Academy. Remember? My job doesn't require math- unless you include counting the number of hollows you've killed."

The black-haired teenager sighed. "But you've learned a little, right? Didn't you come to school with Ichi-nii before the Winter War?"

"Yeah, but it was easy stuff."

"Then this should be easy for you, right? At least take a look," Karin pleaded.

Toshiro exhaled noisily. "Fine. But I can't guarantee I can help you."

"Okay," Karin confirmed, turning towards her desk. Toshiro drew closer to Karin and took a look at the problem.

"Continuity? What's that supposed to mean?"

Karin groaned. "Are you sure you took math?"

"Didn't I just tell you that I didn't take math?"

"Yeah," Karin said, hesitating on her words. "But I thought you could figure it out since Ichi-nii said you were a genius captain."

Toshiro rolled his eyes. "Ichigo would never say that about me. But seriously, I can't help you solve it. Sorry, Kurosaki."

That was when Karin Kurosaki promptly blew up. "What the hell am I going to do, Toshiro? I have a damn math test tomorrow and if I don't fucking get this question, I'll fucking fail the class! And it's not even three weeks into the school year!"

"Calm down, Karin. It's not like it's the end of the world. I mean, for all you know-"

"Don't you all-you-know me, dammit! Haven't you heard of the damn Asian stereotype? I have to god-fucking ace this exam!"

"Karin, breathe-"

"I already am breathing, idiot! Instead of telling me how to breathe, tell me how to ace this-"

"Karin!"

Short on breath, the raven-haired girl turned to look at her friend. "What now?"

Toshiro sighed and rubbed his temples. "Why don't I just look at the problem? I might be able to solve it. Explain it to me a little and show me your notes."

Karin grinned widely. "I knew you could help me, Toshiro!"

Emerald eyes rolled, but his famous smirk appeared on his face. He knew she would pull something like this on him.

…

"So you factor the numerator out. Now you have (x+1)(x-1)/(x-1). Cross out the {x-1}'s."

Karin drew a diagonal line through the two equations.

"Because you canceled them out, you now have a hole in your line. You know how to graph x+1, right?"

"Mhm," Karin replied, graphing her problem out and drawing the hole in the spot where x equaled –1.

"'Kay. Now, is it discontinuous or continuous?"

"Continuous?"

"No," Toshiro shook his head. "There's a hole in your line, which means that…" He left the sentence open for her to finish.

"Which means that it's discontinuous."

"Great," he praised. "Now look at the three types of discontinuity. Which one is it?"

"Uhmm… point, right?'

Toshiro smiled. "You've got it."

Karin beamed in appreciation. "Thanks Toshiro!"

"It wasn't me," he said, smirking a little. "It was all you."

"Don't flatter me," Karin joked, hitting him lightly on the arm. She stood up and went for the door. "I'm going to get something to drink. You want anything?"

Toshiro declined politely and watched her leave. Maybe he couldn't confess now, but he'd learn.

After all, he's a genius.

…

**I'm literally hitting myself in the head because I chose to write this instead of studying for a math test (which is also about continuity). -.-**

**I hope you enjoyed it nevertheless, so please drop a review in the box. :D**


	6. Gangnam Style

**Gangnam Style- August 15, 2012**

**World: Anime/Manga**

**Summary: Humans preferred to listen to the weirdest things.**

…

When Toshiro Hitsugaya had visited Karin the next time he took a vacation to the human world, she had constantly been silently mouthing the words to a song that seemed to play continuously on her iPod. Peaking an eyebrow at her fixation for the unknown song, he asked her kindly to let him hear it as well.

And when he asked, Karin's eyes lit up like a fire, animatedly suggesting that he watch the music video instead of just listening to the song. So Toshiro agreed and Karin excitedly brought her laptop down from her room.

Sitting themselves on the couch, Karin turned on her computer, rambling about the superiority of the lyrics compared to others, as well as the superb tunes and amazing dance moves. Toshiro listened attentively, raising his expectations every time he heard praise emerge from the girl's mouth.

Thirty seconds in, Toshiro's gaping mouth could not be closed. What happened to the superiority of the lyrics? It was in fucking Korean. The only things that popped out at him were "Oppan Gangnam Style" and "Ay, Sexy Lady." The rest was mumbo-jumbo to him. Superb tunes? It sounded like auto-tune and lots of technology.

And those dance moves? What the hell was with that guy in the elevator?

Toshiro had suddenly questioned the insanity of the raven-haired teen next to him. Hesitating, Toshiro eventually managed to choke out a few choice words. "Kurosaki," he started, trying to process the video he had just seen, "what the hell did I just watch?"

Karin smiled radiantly. "You just watched the most amazing video you will ever see in your life. Wasn't it beautiful?"

Toshiro raised an eyebrow. "How can you understand the lyrics? It's in Korean, isn't it?"

"Yep," Karin nodded. "But I looked up the lyrics online, memorized it, and now every time I sing the song in Korean, I can understand what they're talking about!"

"That's crazy, Kurosaki. How the hell can you hold your dinner down and watch this video?"

"Hey," Karin said indignantly. "That's an insult."

"To who?" Toshiro sneered, crossing his arms. "To this PSY guy or the human race?"

Karin huffed. "You just don't appreciate the prerogatives that come with being a human."

"I'm in a gigai, Kurosaki. I'm dead, remember?"

"Yeah, but you have a chance to _act _human."

"Whatever, Kurosaki. This video is crazy."

Karin shook her head, but grinned anyways. "I'll play it aloud, until you learn to appreciate the good music nature has given us."

Toshiro scoffed. It would take a while before _that _happened.

…

"Guess what, Toshiro?"

The emerald-eyed boy turned to find a panting Kurosaki catch up to him, as he was about to leave for Soul Society once more. "What is it?"

"Here," she panted. Karin's hand held a compact CD as she beamed at him. "Play it when you get back. I'm sure you have a DVD player right?"

Toshiro silently nodded and took it from her hands. "Thanks, Kurosaki. I'll see you later."

Karin nodded happily and waved as he disappeared behind the senkaimon.

…

When Toshiro Hitsugaya had finally found time to watch the DVD, he settled down on the couch with a bowl of popcorn he had gotten from the human world.

His eyes bugged out of their sockets as he watched a long-legged, red-haired girl dance seductively on the screen. It switched back and forth from the PSY person in the previous video he watched and the girl who kept on bending down like her legs hurt. The music in the background sounded exactly the same, too.

He waited until the very end until words came up. He read the words quickly and soon learned- that wasn't all there was to the CD.

_I hope you enjoyed it, Toshiro! It's the female version of Gangnam style, so maybe you can relate to it better. ;) But in case you didn't like it, I included the original song too. Which plays right about now. Keep on playing! :D_

Toshiro groaned. What did humans do with their lives?

However, it seemed soul reapers didn't have a lot to do with their lives as well. When his lieutenant had gotten a hold on the CD, Soul Society was in an uproar for weeks.

…

**Like, no kid. Gangnam Style is the best thing you will ever watch. Go. Do it now. But leave a review first. XD**


	7. Blunt

**Blunt- August 16, 2012**

**World: AU**

**Summary: People always say that Karin's too direct for her own good, but Karin finds that it works just fine.**

…

People always say I'm too blunt for my own good. They say it'll be my downfall.

But I've never been one for caring. That's just one of the many traits that come with being me. You either take it, or leave it.

Of course, this trait of mine has narrowed my list of "friends" in half, dividing the class into the ones who actually like me and the ones who pretend to put up with my crap. I've found that it's quite effective if you want to know who your real friends are.

There's just one kid in my class, white hair and teal eyes, whom I don't know how I stand with him. We don't talk; we don't make eye contact, hell- I don't think he knows I exist. But it doesn't really bother me. I'm not a friend-maker anyways.

But one thing happens after another, and I've found that he can be damn good company when you need it.

Even though he's a good listener and may seem like a wise, old man who can give you the perfect advice, I've found that even the child genius has his flaws.

First, he's anti-social. (Like I didn't know that already.)

Second, he's a very temperamental kid. (It takes very little to irritate him.)

And third, his looks give him a very Yakuza look. (Probably the reason he's anti-social.)

But hey, that's how I like my men. I didn't realize that until I had known him intimately, memorizing his likes, dislikes, personality, and everything that came with Hitsugaya Toshiro.

I'm not the type of girl who waits until her friends can tell her whether he likes her or not. Nor am I the girl to secretly fawn (aka stalk) over him. It's not my cup of tea.

People may say I'm crazy, having the guts to confess like I did to the most intelligent student in our class. But hey, I've found that my bluntness works.

I'm still ruffling his hair, calling him 'shorty,' messing with his organization and everything else I do with the one everyone calls 'Hitsugaya-san,' but me.

Only being his girlfriend makes everything that much sweeter.

…

**I've discovered that I've never really written in 1st person for a character. I realize this might not be my best work, but I hope you enjoyed it anyways. If Karin is OOC, please tell me. I'd like to modify it so Karin is in character.**

**Please review and tell me what you think. (:**


	8. Flowers

**Flowers- August 17, 2012**

**World: Anime/Manga**

**Summary: Their love is like a daffodil.**

…

_In Egyptian mythology, the daffodil symbolizes death, growing on the banks of the River Styx._

_In Greek mythology, the daffodil, also known as the Narcissus, was created as the remains of a man who was vain of his beauty. Therefore, it had become a symbol of unrequited love. _

_Interesting enough, Christians have made daffodils a symbol of resurrection and renewal, appearing in many religious works as a symbol of rebirth. The Chinese also view this flower as a symbol of renewal, supposedly bringing good fortune upon oneself during the year._

…

Ever since Karin died, her taicho had never been the same. It was strange to see her white-haired captain with eyes so empty of his original confidence and his posture so still and unmoving. While her family had taken it hard, Rangiku Matsumoto felt like her stubborn captain had taken it to heart the most.

Because the day she died, Toshiro Hitsugaya had been planning to take a vacation to the human world to confess to the hardhearted girl.

But when he arrived, with bright daffodils in his slender hands, he had learned that Karin had died- taken by a hollow stronger than she was.

Only she knew the loss of an unrequited love, and the regret of unspoken words. She knew her captain had taken it hard, secluding himself in his room; his loud cries muffled by the door. Rangiku had only wished that the blossoming couple would have made it and survived the hardships of the world.

_Poor taicho,_ she thought, leaning her elbow on her desk. With a bottle of sake in her other hand, she took a swig and gulped it down harshly. Like the daffodils her captain had brought to represent rebirth and resurrection in a new beginning, it had died so quickly, floating down the River Styx where the dead had ferried. Rangiku's glassy eyes wept tiredly, her last moments with her beloved appearing in her mind and the lost couple who had followed in their footsteps.

She gazed out the window, wishing that those daffodils hadn't brought despair and regret like it did. She wished that the flowers that sat on her windowsill had meant something different- something that didn't remind them of their angst and loves.

But their lives doesn't turn out like that for them. They're left to pine for lost love and leaving daffodils on graves of their loved ones, hoping for the renewal and hope that the yellow flowers promised.

So just in case, Rangiku leaves the yellow flowers on her windowsill, carefully tending to the plants in an almost mother-like way. She prays and prays that they'll bring her and her captain good fortune and a new start in life. She prays that it won't mean the opposite. She prays that the flowers will bring her hope and a new meaning to life.

But even wishful thoughts and hopeful flowers can't bring a beloved from the dead.

…

**Thanks to all who supported me throughout the week. (: I really appreciated your support and your criticism. **

**Even though this little drabble is not exactly a way to celebrate that, I hope you'll leave a review to tell me what you think. (:**

**FrostyNight98 gave me a great idea. If you guys have any suggestions for prompts I could write about, please PM me or include it when you review. I'd give due credit and overall, I'd appreciate your input. ^^**

**I hope you enjoyed this one and please keep your eye out for the next!**


	9. My Likes

**My Likes -August 18, 2012**

**World: AU**

**Summary: Toshiro's likes are none of Karin's business.**

…

"So…"

Karin stared at the ceiling fan that lay directly above her bed.

"So what?" Toshiro replied, his eyes still concentrated at the book in his hand.

"So… let's do something! I'm bored," Karin cried as she flopped herself on her bed.

"I'm in the middle of something, Kurosaki. After I finish this chapter, then we can do something."

Karin pouted. "What's with you? You're like a freaking old man- you like amanatto, you actually _enjoy_ reading, you're a party pooper, and every other freaking trait an old man has!"

Toshiro turned red. "What do you mean I'm like an old man? My likes are perfectly normal."

Karin scoffed. "Yeah, if you're above sixty-five years old."

"Are you provoking me, Kurosaki?"

Karin grinned widely. "Yes, yes I am."

Toshiro turned his head. "Well, I'm not going to fall for it."

"Oh yeah? Tell me what your likes are."

"My likes are none of your business, Kurosaki," he said coldly.

"They are too," Karin pouted, sitting up and crossing her arms across her chest. "Now spill it or I swear I'll stuff your mouth with dried persimmons."

Raising an eyebrow at her last threat, he sighed. "Fine. My likes are amanatto, reading, solitary, watermelon, classical music-"

"Oh my God. I'm hanging out with the embodiment of a geezer every day. Ew."

Toshiro glared. "That was not needed. My likes are my own."

Karin raised a cocky eyebrow. "Oh yeah? Name one thing that wouldn't be considered an old man trait."

"I like to sit outside and enjoy-"

"No."

"I like to read the newspapers on Sunday morn-"

"No."

"I like tea with every-"

"Oh God, no. Toshiro, you need to get some new things to like."

"Kurosaki, my likes are just fine."

"No! They aren't!" Karin argued. "You need to lighten up a little!"

"I do! I do have things that an old man won't like!"

"Like what, huh?"

Toshiro bit the inside of his lip. Should he say it- or not? What the hell. He's got nothing to lose. (Except her friendship.)

"I like you."

Silence.

Karin perked an eyebrow. "Are you saying that an old man wouldn't like me?"

With unwavering eyes, he gazed into hers. "Absolutely, Karin."

She grinned famously. "I think we can get along just fine."

…

**I know it isn't technically August 18th, but it's pretty damn close, so we'll just roll with it. XD I hope you enjoyed this installment of "A Year of HitsuKarin!"**

**I'm opening this fanfic to any prompt ideas you guys would have. I'd give due credit and I'd really appreciate what you have to say. So please leave me some in your reviews or PM me if you have the time. ^^**

**Please review and keep your eyes open for the next one! (:**


	10. Comfort

**Comfort- August 19, 2012**

**World: AU**

**Summary: Finding shoulders to cry on aren't as hard as it seems.**

…

To be honest, they've never really talked. Although they've been neighbors for so long, the only thing they've exchanged were small nods of hello and small waves of goodbye. That was the extent of their relationship and it was something that neither of them tried to cross.

They really don't know why they don't try to talk to each other. Toshiro believes that there's an invisible wall between them; it's blocking the way for an intimate relationship. Karin thinks it's the rituals- the waves and nods they do every morning and evening without saying a word. No matter what it is, they find that they can't find the words to subside the uncomfortable air that sat between them.

So in compensation for their silence, they watched each other, carefully monitoring the other's life through the light of their eyes and the way they carried themselves that day. It wasn't as if they were stalking each other; they didn't know a thing about the other except for names. It was just something they kept daily, a precious reflection of a mother watching over her son.

So when Toshiro sees his neighbor crying for the first time as she leaves the car, he decides to overcome the invisible wall that splits the two. He cooks something up and nervously knocks on her door. Before he changes his mind about seeing her, he sees her open the door.

Her attempt to wipe away the tears and soften her jaded eyes was futile; he had already seen her. He smiles nervously and asks if he can come in. She simulates a smile and opens her home to the neighbor she's never talked to.

An awkward air settles between them as he unwraps his gift. She thanks him as he piles the pasta he quickly whipped up onto a ceramic plate. He takes some of the pasta as well, and they sit at the dinner table, pushing the pasta around on the plate.

Karin decides to overcome the rituals and comes out with it. She tells him about her day and his heart sympathizes with hers. She wails softly and his emerald eyes gaze at her slender form.

Suddenly, Karin starts to wipe her tears and she apologizes for her attitude. Karin hangs her head in shame, thinking that she's ruined any chance of knowing her neighbor more intimately.

But she doesn't notice him standing up and walking to her chair until long, lanky arms wrap around her form. Her stormy eyes gaze at his well- defined face. He's turned away from her, but she can still make out the red tint on his cheekbones and a small genuine smile peeks out for just a moment.

Her raw eyes cry for a little longer as he holds her quietly in his arms, his eyes looked down at her sorrowful expression once in a while. He tightens his hold and she stops her weeping for a little to look up at his embarrassed expression. Even as he quickly relents his possessive hold and slowly draws his arms away, Karin shyly leans back into his stomach and looks up at his surprised expression.

He gets it and engulfs her limp body once more. She sighs wistfully and closes her eyes.

For once in her lifetime, she has a shoulder to cry on.

…

**I hope you enjoyed this one! I really liked writing this one for some reason… I know it's like an hour late of the day, but we can just roll with it, right?**

**If you have any ideas/prompts for any oneshots/drabbles you would like me to write about, please leave it in a review or PM me. I'd give due credit. **

**Thanks so much for reading! Please review! (:**


	11. Effort

**Effort (Guest)- August 20, 2012**

**World: Anime/Manga**

**Summary: It was a matter of trying.**

…

For the child genius that flew through Shino Academy and jumped from one seat position to the next, effort really meant nothing to him.

To the emerald-eyed youngster, effort was something he had never partaken in. He had contact with his zanpakuto at a young age- even before he had studied to become a shinigami. Studies came naturally to him, and he could boast that he had never gotten a low A in any assignment he was given. Even becoming the captain of the 10th division was easier than he expected- although that might have been because the former captain, Isshin Kurosaki, had deserted Soul Society and they needed a replacement.

Even the paperwork he complained so much about was easy- although that was expected. All he did was stamp certain papers and sign on the dotted line.

While most shinigami envy the life of the ivory-haired genius, Toshiro longed for something they had, but he didn't.

A challenge.

There were few things that were a challenge to Hitsugaya Toshiro, but they were of minor significance. Some things were just hopeless- such as getting his lazy lieutenant to do her job correctly.

Sure, there were some battles where he had to fight for his very life. Those were actually quite thrilling; a seedling of exhilaration always passed through him when he felt as if he was going to face a strong opponent. But something that Toshiro wanted was a challenge where it _didn't _threaten his life.

That wish was always in the back of his mind, subconsciously poking at him as he continued his daily routines. He always kept a lookout for anything that could excite him and enthuse him like no other. So when the substitute shinigami introduced his recently-dead sister, Toshiro felt as if he'd just hit the jackpot.

It wasn't as if he was just playing with her. His affections for the rough woman ran much deeper than anyone had expected. Maybe he hadn't shown it, but he actually genuinely cared for the raven-haired girl and as their relationship grew, so did his feelings for her.

And when Toshiro had realized just how far he had fallen in, he challenged himself to gain the affection of her heart.

So little by little, she grew closer to him and took his subtle hints one by one. Her heart was just as stubborn as his and Toshiro had found it indeed a formidable task to capture her as his.

But when he did, he found that trying and even failing at times was the second best thing he had ever experienced- next to finally getting the Kurosaki's attention. He learned that effort was something to be cherished, to be experienced for the heavy heart when it was weary.

And as much as he adored the excitement of challenges, he never loved it more than doing it with her.

…

**I hope you enjoyed this one! I'm working on small plots for the prompts you guys have given me and I'm super excited to start them. Here's one now- for the anonymous guest who didn't want to log in.**

**Anyhoo, I'm still taking prompts, so I'd love, love, love to see your input. Include it in a private PM or in a review, if you prefer.**

**Please review! It means the world to me. (:**


	12. Kisses

**Kisses- August 21, 2012**

**World: AU**

**Summary: Between the two of them, a kiss never means the same thing.**

…

When he kissed her for the first time, it was a unraveling of his hidden desire for her. He had never known about his want for her until the second his lips touched hers and he conveyed everything he had ever felt for her through the clumsy, but passionate kiss. Karin had found the kiss intimate, a sharing of love and friendship between two friends whom didn't know where they stood. But to her, it was something special, something sacred for her to keep fresh in her memory to look back on later.

While they were dating, she grabbed his robe and roughly laid her lips on top of his, searching for something more than what they already had. Sure, she was selfish, but at that moment, there was nothing more she wanted to do than build a good-natured, harmonious relationship with the man she loved the most. When she kissed him, Toshiro was honestly stunned. Despite his girlfriend's stubborn and brash nature, her tough exterior never really included romance. He was surprised when he felt her chapped lips against his, and a soft tongue rudely invading his lips. But of course, the man obliged.

On their wedding day, he met her mouth gently, lacking in much of the fervor he usually put into his kisses. But this kiss, he thought, was something sacred to him- something to be cherished and loved for the rest of his life. Toshiro had never felt spoiled in his life when his new wife smiled softly against his lips. Karin had felt that his kiss had just as much passion as usual, even without the crazy lip-licking and the tongue-invading. In fact, Karin felt as if she was floating on a cloud, her subconscious fairy tale becoming real by the minute.

With children the ages of five and nine, the two rarely had any time for more intimate moments. But when they did, the kisses were soft- not as gentle as the one on the altar, but a simple sign of affection. Toshiro proudly kissed his wife in front of the kids, who ew-ed and aw-ed at the aging couple. Karin was always embarrassed when it came to public displays of affections. But she overcame that when she discovered that Toshiro loved to shower his love on her. So she learned to kiss, slowly, in front of people. These small showers of care simply drowned her in the love that she had always craved for and seemed like the touch in itself had been her reason to live. It was something that she began to love.

Karin, even as an elderly woman, had never stopped loving her husband. Despite the disagreements and the heated arguments, Karin had never felt her heart waver in her trust for Toshiro. She kisses him once more; she knows he is leaving her soon and her heart already aches for his affectionate care. Karin doesn't kiss him with the zeal she had during her younger days, but her kiss is all the same- simple and sweet with a lingering aftertaste of strawberry. Toshiro knows his path and its something that he doesn't want to do without her. Despite his objections, he knows that the grim reaper will come to visit anyways. He kisses her one last time; he hopes his message goes through. He wishes her the best and conveys his everlasting love for her. Before he closes his eyes eternally, she smiles gently at her wrinkled face and tightens his hold around her hand before finally drifting asleep.

For the fairy-tale couple, kisses had never meant the same. And not even death do their fates part; their kisses had concealed their love in the memories of the earth.

…

**Just for the record, studying sucks. I don't have time to plot/write the things I want. But hopefully, after tomorrow, I can write more; 3 of my tests- gone! :D**

**I hope you enjoyed and please, please, please review if you enjoyed. I'd really appreciate your input. As a starving writer, I crave for reviews! (heh. You see what I did there? ;))**

**Thanks so much for reading! If you have any ideas for drabbles/oneshots you'd like me to do, I'd love to get around to them one day or another. Please PM me or include it in a review! I'd give due credit and overall, your suggestions would be greatly appreciated. (:**


	13. Cooking

**Cooking (FrostyNight98)- August 22, 2012**

**World: Anime/Manga**

**Summary: He always thought he would have to cook for her.**

…

When Hitsugaya Toshiro had knocked soundly on the Kurosaki family's door, he had not been expecting Yuzu to open it.

"Where's Karin?" He asked, wondering why Yuzu wasn't making for dinner for the family at the time.

Yuzu beamed cheerfully. "She's in the kitchen! She's making dinner for us right at this moment. Come inside. I'll seat you at the dinner table."

Toshiro's eyes almost bulged out of their sockets. "Kurosaki," he choked out, "cooking?"

His attention turned to said Kurosaki Karin, her hair in a ponytail, an apron adorning her slender figure, and a spatula in her hand. "Cat got your tongue, Toshiro?"

In his stupor, Toshiro blushed faintly, his eyes darting to the side. He cleared his throat nervously. "Kurosaki," he greeted, a rosy red still dressing his cheeks.

Karin grinned widely. "Guess you never expected to see me in an apron, huh?"

It took Toshiro longer than expected, but he finally choked down his embarrassment. "I didn't think you were that type of person," he said honestly.

Yuzu's eyes darted between the intimate friends and suppressed the urge to squeal. She had always thought they were dating, even though both of them vehemently denied it. But Yuzu was very observant, and she noticed Toshiro's small affectionate gazes towards her sister.

Toshiro had it bad for her.

Yuzu chuckled and started to hum. "Make sure dinner's done soon, Karin!" She sung, skipping merrily towards her room.

Karin watched her sister leave, shaking her head. "Sorry 'bout that. She's a romantic."

Toshiro shook his head as well. "It's fine. What are you making?"

Karin smiled gently. "You want to come in and help?"

He shrugged and followed her into the kitchen. As he walked in, Toshiro watched Karin bustle around the small room, checking on the rice and cutting the chicken.

"What are you making?"

"Chicken Katsu."

"It sounds good."

Karin turned her attention for a moment away from the chicken to look at him. "You want to watch?"

He walked closely behind her as she skillfully breaded the chicken. "How many years have you been cooking?"

"Two to three years. I'm what? Sixteen now? I've been switching off with Yuzu every so often to give her a break, so I'm trying to expand my collection of recipes."

Toshiro's eyes widened. "How come I've never seen you cook?"

Karin chuckled. "I know, it's surprising, right? Whenever you visit, I'm just not the one cooking. Like I said, I only switch with Yuzu once in a while. She's much better than I am."

The white-haired man shook his head, clearly amazed at her ability to move around the kitchen. "You're doing fine, Kurosaki."

While only the sound of crackling oil evaded the silence, Toshiro moved beside her. "What do you want me to help with?"

Without taking her eyes off her task, she pointed to a large pot. "I'm making porridge soup as well. Can you just check on it and stir once in a while?"

He nodded wordlessly and started to watch the porridge.

Meanwhile, Yuzu, Ichigo, and Isshin were standing silently outside the door to the kitchen. "Mo!" Yuzu cried quietly. "Why won't he make a move? This is perfect! They're alone and it's just so cliché!"

"No," Ichigo pointed out, "we're here. Besides, Toshiro should just be a man and get out with it. It's been what? Three years of blushing? Even I confessed to Rukia after the Winter- I mean, the… school year."

"What winter?" Yuzu cocked her head.

Ichigo laughed nervously. "Nothing."

Isshin whispered, "do you think I'll get grandchildren soon?"

Ichigo bonked his father's head. "You idiot! Karin's too young for that!"

His father still wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "What if I wasn't talking about Karin?"

The carrot-top blushed for a bit before glaring at his old man. "Go away," he said, punching his father soundly in the face.

"What the hell are you guys doing here?"

Yuzu and Ichigo looked up and smiled sheepishly at the irritated Karin. "We were… checking on dinner," Yuzu said, shifting her feet side to side.

Karin just perked an eyebrow at her blatant lie. "Sure, Yuzu. But just saying," pointing a finger at the two, "It's not going to happen."

"The porridge is done, Kurosaki," Toshiro called, peeking his head out of the kitchen. "What're they doing here?"

Karin shook her head. "Nothing. I'll go see. Come on, Toshiro."

And like a loyal puppy, the white-haired shinigami followed her right in.

Yuzu squealed. "They are just SO CUTE!"

Ichigo just shook his head. He couldn't believe how oblivious Karin was.

…

**I hope you liked what I did with your prompt, FrostyNight98. (: I had so much fun playing with this. **

**If you enjoyed, please review! (: I would very much appreciate your input.**

**Any prompt suggestions? Please drop it in a PM or put it in a review! I'll give due credit. (:**


	14. Coffee

Coffee- August 23, 2012

**World: AU**

**Summary: "Can I get a 'For here, Tall, Half-caf, Americano with whipped cream and extra milk?'"**

…

Same time, same place. Same request. Everyday.

"Can I get a 'For here, Tall, Half-caf, Americano with whipped cream and extra milk?'"

Same time, same place. Same answer. Everyday.

"Sure. I'll call your number in just a bit, sir. Please wait."

It wasn't as if the coffee was the best he ever tasted. No, he definitely had better coffee before. But he didn't go for the tall Americanos.

Nope. Hitsugaya Toshiro went for the girls.

Let's rephrase that. Hitsugaya Toshiro went for a _certain _raven-haired, gray-eyed, slender girl.

One could say the reason he went was to support her and the small business. Another one could state that he simply enjoyed the coffee she made. While both of these things were completely and utterly true, this man went for an entirely other selfish reason.

He just wanted to see her. Same time, same place. Everyday.

Hitsugaya Toshiro was a man of few words; he never said anything unnecessary. So phrases like, "How ya doin' babe?" and "Here's my number, darling." were not part of his everyday lingo. Although he had see other grown men and teenage boys say things like that, Hitsugaya Toshiro wanted to leave a lasting impression on the stubborn Kurosaki Karin.

He also wanted to avoid the extra bumps on his head not only caused by her, but her overprotective brother as well.

In addition, he had found that the girl he had admired from afar was still in high school. Admittedly, she was in her 3rd year, but it was still something that bothered him. He was fresh out of college, and didn't want to do anything to hurt her. (Assuming that she did return his feelings.)

But still, Hitsugaya Toshiro came everyday. Same time, same place. Just to see her make his order and call his name in her deep voice. Although he would never say it, even Hitsugaya Toshiro knew that he had fallen for her.

Hard.

Of course, the staff of the restaurant knew. They always stuck her in the same time slot everyday and giggled noiselessly to each other whenever he came up. Sure, it was kind of annoying, but he honestly appreciated the gesture. After all, he still saw her everyday.

And so for the past year, he had been visiting the humble coffee shop, ordering the same drink. He was starting to wonder if even the raven-haired, gray-eyed slender woman knew his affections for her yet.

One day, he decided to make his move after he's already ordered his coffee. Now, he's just waiting to pay.

"So," he said nonchalantly, "how's school?"

The girl, punching in numbers into the register, raised an eyebrow. "How did you know I was in school?"

"Uh… I overheard one of your conversations."

"Oh. Yuzu should lower her voice."

"Who's Yuzu?"

"She's my sister."

"Oh."

"Yeah. I'll call your number in a bit, sir," Karin said. "Please wait."

_Smooth. Real Smooth._

The next day, he made _another _move.

"The weather was real nice today, hm?"

"I guess," she shrugged, punching numbers into the register.

Toshiro sweatdropped. "Er.. what's your name?"

Karin looked up. "Please read the nametag, sir."

"Oh. Hello… Karin."

"Hello to you, too. I'll call your number in a bit, sir. Please wait."

_Stupid. You already know her name._

The next day, he tried yet again.

"Nice to see you today, Karin."

"Yeah," she said, punching in the numbers on the register.

"So… are you-"

Karin looked up pointedly at him. "Listen. If you've got something to say, say it. I've been waiting for you to say something for the past year."

Toshiro looked at her, stunned by her bluntness. But he knows he shouldn't have been surprised. After all, he's observed her for the past year.

She continues. "I get out of work at 5 PM. If you can manage to catch me before I leave work, then I'll listen to what you have to say. But don't act all cowardly and not say anything.

I'll call your number in a bit, sir. Please wait."

While he pondered her words as he sipped the Americano, he smiled genuinely.

$4.50 for a tall Americano isn't that bad.

…

**This is a landmark! Two weeks of hardcore dedication to HitsuKarin! :D**

**Thanks so much for following this story and I hope you will continue to follow it. Please press the button below and leave a review if you enjoyed or if you didn't. I'd love to know what you think.**

***Note: 'For here' (at least at the Starbucks I go to), means that you want a mug because you're staying. 'Half-caf' is one decaf shot, one regular shot. I think the rest you can figure out. XD**

**If you want to submit a prompt, please either leave it in a review or PM me. I'll give due credit.**

**I'll get around to responding your reviews when I have the time... probably a Saturday, but I dunno. School's actually kind of hard, believe it or not. DX**

**Thanks again! (:**


	15. Wishes

Wishes- August 24, 2012

**World: Anime/Manga**

**Summary: Karin can only wish.**

…

Karin knows that they can't be together. It's as simple and obvious as that.

She's a child, a measly fourteen years old, and he's decades older than her, a shinigami who has not aged in the looks department for over ten years. He's also important to his world, the 10th squad's famous child genius. Rumors say that he received messages from his zanpakuto while he was still in Rugonkai and that his reiatsu was so impressive, that it could be felt by normal souls. She was just a simple child, still receiving education among thousands and thousands of students across her world.

So she tried her best not to think of him.

But it doesn't help that she still wishes upon a star to see the emerald-eyed boy again. Because two times were enough for her to fall in love with the white-haired boy that had the personality of an old man and the stubbornness of a young kid. Because two times were enough for her to fall for his devilishly handsome looks and his amazing athletic ability. Because her thumping heart can't take the thought of not having Toshiro.

As much as she longs to see his smirk and his aloof face again, she knows she won't. With the loss of Ichigo's powers, Karin knows that there is no way any captain, much less any shinigami, could come to visit her brother now. And that means that she can't see Toshiro.

Whenever she watches a sunset, Karin thinks about the one people call a 'first love,' and the symptoms that come with it. Whenever she thinks of Toshiro, she thinks of his kind interior and everything about him that made her heart beat faster. She even blushes when she remembers the small hints her sister gave her when Toshiro came to visit the house.

But like what was said earlier, Karin can't be with him. Because by the time she's an old lady, Toshiro will be a young adult. Because Toshiro has an important duty to fulfill, and Karin cares enough to let him do what he loves. Because her heart can't take the guilt that might come with a forbidden relationship. Because she loves him.

And as much as her heart aches and moans for him, Karin stays strong and ignores her gut. Karin can only wish for a miracle; something that will lift her spirits and overcome her feelings for Toshiro.

She'll have to wait for it to come to her, to impress her so greatly that her pure affections for the white haired shinigami will eventually fade.

Someday. Karin can only wish.

…

**I hope this was okay. :/ Definitely not my best work…**

**Please review! Even if it were mediocre, I'd love to know what I could do to improve and what you liked about my stories. (:**

**Prompts are still open. (: Either PM me, or include it in a review. I give due credit.**

**Thanks so much for reading!**


	16. Turtles

Turtles (sort of Light Dmon James…)- August 25, 2012

**World: AU**

**Summary: It turns out, maybe zoos really _aren't _that appropriate for little children.**

…

"Ne! Mama!"

A slender figure turned around to see her two oldest children run towards her with their father tailing them closely behind.

Karin beamed happily. "What's up? I'm almost done feeding Yuki," she said, holding the bottle of formula up.

"Mama!" The younger of the two cried out. "We want to see the elephants, Mama! And the rhinos! And the dinosaurs! Rawr!"

The older one, more conserved and logical than the younger one, hit his brother soundly on the head. "Idiot. There are no such things as dinosaurs anymore."

The younger boy stuck his tongue out at his older brother and turned to Karin. "Mama! Kai hit me too hard!"

Karin shook her head, attempting to hold back a smile. "Get along, you two. Kai, Haru did nothing wrong. There was no reason to hit him."

"But Mama-"

"No buts," she confirmed, waggling her pointer finger back and forth. "Now, you guys wanted to see the elephants right? Let me finish feeding your younger sister and then we can go."

"Hey boys. You can go play in the park over there, what about that? Give Yuki a little alone time." Kai and Haru looked up to see their father towering over them.

They both looked at each other and grinned. "Yeah! Come get us later, Mama!" They cried, waving as they ran towards the playground.

Toshiro smirked at her. "They both have your Cheshire-cat grin."

Karin hit him lightly on the arm and scoffed. "It's a good thing they don't have your smirk. I don't know what I would do if I had three of those."

"Oh, I don't know," Toshiro teased. He leaned over and played with their daughter's hands. "I believe Yuki will be a wonderful candidate for the famous Hitugaya smirk."

"Oh Lord, help me," Karin groaned, smacking her forehead. "I'd go insane with even one more of those."

Toshiro snorted. "You say like it's a bad thing."

Karin raised an eyebrow at him. "Like? It is. It'd be bad if I fell in love with one of my children over that infamous smirk. I can't resist it."

"Oh really?" Toshiro smirked once more and grew closer to Karin. Almost, almost-

"Wahh!"

Karin, holding Yuki, sat back, surprised and Toshiro jumped back at the sudden noise. Both of them gazed at each other and sighed.

"I'll go check on the boys, make sure they're not in too much trouble, you know?"

Karin waved him off. "Yeah, yeah. Go. I need to finish feeding Yuki anyways."

As he walked away, Karin looked at her child with a loving, but exasperated expression. "Can't you let Mommy have a romantic moment just this once?"

Yuki just giggled, reaching her grubby hands towards her Mama's face.

…

"Mama! Look! The rhinos!"

Karin looked at the large creatures and smiled. "They're really big, huh?"

Haru nodded. "Yeah." He wrinkled his nose as he looked over the railing. "But they kinda stink."

Kai nodded in agreement as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Let's go, Dad," he said, in a nasally voice. He tugged at his father's sleeve. "I can't stand the smell."

Chuckling, the father conceded to the request and followed his eldest son closely behind.

…

"Dad? Aren't the giraffes' necks super duper long? I wonder how long the food takes to get through there."

Toshiro looked at his eldest son proudly. "That's a good question. Maybe you can ask someone."

"Okay." Kai turned to the old lady next to him. "Ne, baa-chan? How long does it take for the food to travel down the neck of a giraffe?"

The elderly woman smiled graciously. "I don't know, sonny. But the body is a wondrous thing. Maybe it takes the same amount of time as our necks do."

Kai's eyes widened. "I didn't know that." He turned to his father. "Dad! This old lady says it takes just as much time as a human does swallowing his food!"

Toshiro chuckled. "Maybe."

…

Yuki clapped as she witnessed the pink and white flamingos, walking around on the tips of their feet.

Karin laughed. "Isn't it pretty, Yuki?" She readjusted Yuki's position on her side and watched her two boys and her husband run around. "Be careful," she called.

Although they didn't hear her, she knew that her husband was careful anyways, avoiding her boys with ease and making sure they didn't run into anything.

She heard Yuki screech with joy and looked back at the flamingos. It seemed there was a peacock in the midst, and it was exhibiting its colors.

Karin turned to her daughter and pinched her daughter's cheek gently. "I never thought I would ever think something was cute."

…

"Kai! Haru! This is the last one! I need to go home and make dinner!"

"'Kay Mom!"

Toshiro had hung back with Karin, taking Yuki off of her hands and carrying her instead, while Karin held the bag. "I still can't believe they're this energetic," he sighed, shaking his head.

Karin laughed. "I'm glad. At least they had some personality when I gave birth to them. It'd be bad if they turned out like you."

Toshiro scowled. "Kurosaki," he growled, calling her by the name he had dubbed her as a child. "Don't push it."

Karin's eyes crinkled in mirth. "What are you going to do?"

"… Something. I'll tell you that much."

Karin threw her head back and cackled. "I can never get tired of teasing you."

"Mama! Dad!" The youngest child sprinted towards them and tugged at his dad's sleeve. "There's a fight! A fight! Break it up, Dad!"

Karin's eyes widened. "What do you mean?" Taking her husband along, she pushed through the crowd to see her eldest son wide-eyed.

She looked up at the turtles and gasped, dropping the bag on her shoulder.

"Karin, what is-" Toshiro's sea-green orbs widened as well, his mouth slightly parted open in surprise.

Kai turned back to them with teary eyes. "Mama! The turtle's on top is hurting the turtle on the bottom! Tell him to get off!"

Both of the boys yelled, attempting to persuade the top turtle to get off the bottom one.

"Get off her! You're hurting her!"

"Yeah! Don't be a bully! Get off!"

"No fighting allowed!"

Toshiro leaned over to his wife and whispered in her ear, "Are those turtles having se- I mean, _getting it on_?"

Karin paled. "I- think so."

Toshiro shook his head. "Somehow, I find that really disturbing."

The couple turned to the two boys still yelling at the top turtle to get off. They looked at each other and smiled sympathetically.

Yuki just shrieked and clapped, her eyes laughing happily at the show.

…

**So… yeah.**

**Like, no kid. Today, I went to the zoo and I saw two turtles _getting it on._ It was so disturbing. And then these teens were cheering it on. And then some kids were saying something about 'no bullying.'**

**Yeah. It was just bad.**

**So that's my inspiration. I kind of took Light Dmon James' idea, but twisted it. I still included Yuki, but I made it a girl… I dunno. I just like that name as a girl's name. Maybe it's because my dog (who is a female) has that name… probably. XP**

**I'll probably make another oneshot including children- and this time, it'll include the Yuki you want. I don't know about the personality, so I hope you don't mind if I just kind of make it up… teehee. XD**

**Please review! I'd really enjoy your input and your prompt suggestions! (Just PM/include it in a review- I give due credit!)**


	17. Books

**Books- August 26, 2012**

**World: *This is like a cross between AU&Manga. Note that Toshiro and Karin did not meet in the manga. Ichigo is a substitute shinigami, and he has already gone through the Winter War. However, the thing that makes this AU is Karin's inability to sense the shinigami, the hollows and the spirits.**

**Summary: Ichigo never thought Karin could ever have a character crush- much less one on the cold captain with a hot temper and a shorty complex.**

…

Karin rummaged through the shelves of the library, handpicking books that she deems interesting. Her eyes land upon a large hardcopy book and her eyes enlarge with interest.

The spine read, "Collections of Soul Society."

She took it from the shelf and read the summary on the back.

...

_Where do you go when you die? Urahara Kisuke, best selling author of "Forbidden Romance" and "The Cat and I," raises the controversial question of life after death._

_The role of Soul Society is to house dead souls, the spirits of the dead. When a person dies, this is where they will go. Urahara takes his readers on a journey no one has ever been before- a world full of shinigami with personalized swords, monsters that threaten our very nature, and a large scheme that terrorizes both Soul Society and the modern world._

_This collection of tales contains the story of the popular "Substitute Shinigami" and all twenty-six stories of the captains and their lieutenants, among others stories that will simply blow your mind away._

_..._

Karin left the other books on a table, deciding that the thick book she had chosen would suffice her reading addiction for the week. She checked it out at the front desk and started to read it while she was in the car.

...

_Author's note_

_Before reading this book, you must fully understand the structure of Soul Society. There are two parts…_

_..._

Karin read through it quickly, finding herself enjoying even the Author's note in the beginning. When she walked inside the house, her nose was still stuck inside of the book, her eyes still skimming the words.

"Oi, Karin. What are you reading?"

"Hm?" Karin looked up at her brother. "What'd you say again?"

"What are you reading?" He reiterated.

"Oh. It's by a best-selling author named Urahara Kisuke. Do you know of him?"

Ichigo's eyes darted to the side quickly. "Of course not," he said uneasily. "You know I don't read, Karin."

Ignoring his obvious uneasiness, Karin continued. "It's a book called 'Collections of Soul Society.' It includes a bunch of stories- especially a seemingly popular one called 'Substitute Shinigami.'"

Ichigo paled and tugged at his collar. "Oh… Well, Karin. Nice talking to you, but I've… got to go. Bye!"

Karin raised an eyebrow at her brother's frantic antics, but shrugged and continued reading.

...

_The orange-haired boy watched as a black butterfly flew into the room. "A black butterfly?" He muttered, "What is this? Where'd it come from-"_

_The words died slowly on his lips as his eyes landed on a petite woman with jet-black hair. She was clothed in a black robe and the sash at her waist held a sword. "Wha-"_

"_It is near," she spoke, her sultry voice matching her cold and intimidating gaze._

_Ringo watched her as she started to walk out of the room and scowled. "'It is near…' my ass, retard!"_

_He kicked her soundly in the back and she flew across the room. "You're a pretty confident burglar, eh," he growled as he pointed a single finger at her. "By 'It is near…!' Do you mean that like the safe is near or something?"_

_The black haired woman looked back at the carrot-top in bewildement. Her eyes widened. She had trouble getting the words out of her mouth. "Y-you can see me…?"_

…

Karin momentarily stopped reading to think. Didn't that sound a lot like Ichi-nii and Rukia-nee? They have a relationship like that, right? Only Ichi-nii's name was replaced with Ringo. She hadn't seen the other person's name yet, so she wasn't sure. She shook her head. Her brother could never be cool enough to have an adventure like this.

…

"_The limit release has been approved!" Matsumoto shouted, pushing herself up off the floor to alert everyone._

_Hitsugaya Toshiro sighed in relief. "It finally came."_

_His opponent perked an eyebrow. "What's this?"_

_Touching the seals on their body, Hitsugaya, Matsumoto, and Renji yelled, "Limit release!"_

_Almost immediately, large bursts of reiatsu appeared in the air from each of the shinigamis' destinations. _

_Shawlong looked at the large reiatsu burst. "'Limit release,' you say?" His eyes then widened as he gazed upon his opponent, with noticeably less blood than before._

"'_Limit release,'" Toshiro proceeded to explain…_

…

"Whoa! I thought they were going to die!" Karin sighed in relief, glad that the limit release came just in time.

Ichigo walked into the room and watched his sister avidly read the book. "You still into that thing, Karin? It's been four days already. Where are you at?"

Karin scowled at her brother, unhappy that he had interrupted the best part in the book thus far. "The shinigami are fighting some arrancar that came in search for reiatsu. Ringo's fighting an espada and the rest are fighting numeros."

"Oh, I remember that-" Ichigo's eyes widened. "Er- I mean…"

"What do you mean, 'you remember it,' Ichi-nii?"

"Uh… I read the book!"

"Really? In three days? You know I'm the fastest reader here and even I," she held up the heavy book to display, "can't finish this book in three days."

"Well… it was… really… good…" The words died on his lips.

Karin shook her head and continued reading.

Ichigo just turned away and sighed. Urahara's ways to get rich was going to kill him.

…

Karin smiled and held up the poster. Even since she completed the book, she had found her first character crush.

Hitsugaya Toshiro.

It was really unusual for her to like a character in a book this much. But something just appealed to her about him. Perhaps it was his complicated character, or his short complex, or even his childhood. She couldn't really tell which part of him she liked.

Of course, she liked the other characters just fine. She thought Zaraki Kenpachi was amazing, his ability to kill someone without even the aid of a zanpakuto. She gazed at the poster she put up of him on the other side of the wall.

She really liked Yoruichi, the female that continuously switched between a feline and a human. Her teasing and fun personality amused Karin. In addition, she was somewhat Karin's role model- fast, fierce, and confident in everything she did.

She also really liked the substitute shinigami and his partner, but she couldn't find any posters of them, despite their popularity and the fact that they were the main characters of the book.

Karin hummed as she grabbed the tape and pasted the poster on the wall above her bed. "There!" She cried, putting her hands on her hips and stepping back to analyze its position.

"Ne, Karin-"

Karin's eyes wandered to the open door, where the voice came from. Ichigo stood in the doorway and his mouth dropped.

"What the hell is-"

Karin's eyes lit up. "I found some posters of my favorite characters in 'Collections of Soul Society!' I posted them up." She then cocked her head. "But I couldn't find any of Ringo and Rue, even though they were the main characters…"

Ichigo's eyes widened and he laughed uneasily. "Er… yeah. That's weird."

"Yeah, that's what I thought, too."

"Wait, Karin. Why is Toshiro's face above your bed?"

"He's my favorite character."

"Get it off. I don't want his pretty-boy face above your bed."

Karin scowled at him. "Don't tell me what to do. Besides, it's my room, not yours."

"Karin! It's immoral!"

"You're immoral, you idiot!" Karin growled, bonking her brother soundly on the head. "Even I know Rukia-nee sneaks to your room at night. I don't even want to imagine what you guys do in there."

Ichigo's face turned red. "We- I mean- I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yeah, yeah," Karin rolled her eyes. "Even Yuzu knows about it. And she's not the best at noticing things."

With a blush still on his face, he turned around. "I expect to see that poster off the wall the next time I come!"

Karin crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, yeah," she said, shutting the door as her brother walked out. "Bye, Ichi-nii."

Karin sighed as she walked over to her shelf and pulled out Hitsugaya Toshiro's profile book. "'The Diamond Dust Rebellion,'" She read aloud to herself, opening the book. "I hope this will be as good as the 'Collections of Soul Society.'"

…

Meanwhile, Ichigo was in his room, ranting quietly to Rukia. "And she's got Yoruichi and even Kenpachi up there! Can you imagine? She thinks them as role models! She's been talking about it with Yuzu ALL the time! They've gone berserk over that damn book Urahara's been writing."

"Ichigo," Rukia ordered. "Calm down. It's just a book. Soul Society won't really get exposed, you know."

"I know," Ichigo sighed, sitting on the bed. "It's Karin's character crush I'm worried about. She's likes Toshiro, damn it! She couldn't have picked anyone else?"

Rukia's violet orbs widened. "She likes Hitsugaya-taicho?"

"Yeah, I know right? Isn't that crazy?"

Rukia's gears was already whirling, her eyes in a devious light. She could tell Matsumoto and then they could play matchmaker together. That would be so much fun! Even thought it'd be a lot of trouble to get Hitsugaya-taicho over to the human world, especially with the Winter War over. "Yeah," Rukia said, slipping away. "I have to… make.. uh… a report to Soul Society! Yeah! Bye!"

Ichigo shook his head and sighed, ignoring the petite's departure. How was he going to get Karin to stop thinking about that book?

…

**Whoa. I didn't think this was so… long. Oh well. I really enjoyed writing it! It was sooo much fun! Oh. If you don't know, "Ringo" in Japanese means apple. I was trying to find a fruit name, but a lot of them were kind of girly or had –beri at the end. -.-**

**Rue is Rukia's name.**

**Any prompt suggestions? PM me or include it in a review. I'll give due credit. If I haven't done yours yet, I _promise _I'll get it done, one way or the other.**

**I really want to explain the posters, but I didn't want to bore you with the author's note… so here! Omake! (It's not really funny, though.)**

**...**

Hitsugaya Toshiro frowned. "Matsumoto. Enlighten me again. Why am I here?"

Matsumoto Rangiku beamed happily. "Urahara's made a best-selling book in the human world! Because it's so popular, we get to be models and pose so our faces can be all around the world!"

"I'm leaving."

"Wait! Taicho!"

As Toshiro started to leave, he heard a loud sound that he knew quite well. He turned around to see the captain-commander look sternly at him. "You will not leave, Hitsugaya- taicho. This photo shoot is mandatory for all major characters of the book."

Toshiro's eyes bulged. "But…" Toshiro's eyes then closed and he sighed. "Orders are orders," he muttered to himself.

He felt arms wrap around him "It's okay, Shiro! Let's pose and do our best!"

Toshiro silently groaned as he attempted to smile with Ukitake-taicho's arm around his shoulder.

**…**

**There you go! Please enjoy and review while you're at it. (:**


	18. Explosions

**Explosions (azngirlhere)- August 27, 2012**

**World: Anime/Manga**

**Summary: The minute he spotted the colorful cloud from his office, he knew she arrived.**

…

Hitsugaya Toshiro had to be honest. Today was exceptionally boring. He had finished his paperwork early, allowing him to idly sleep on the couch. Not even Matsumoto came bouncing in to bother his nap. He just slept… and slept… and slept.

He had to admit- even sleeping was dull after a while. No matter how tall it may have made him. He exhaled noisily and carried himself to his desk. He lazily checked the time and groaned. It was only three PM. He didn't know what he'd do with himself until it was time for him to sleep once more.

Sipping from his cup of lukewarm tea, he gazed out the window to observe the activity of Seireitei. He wondered what the other soul reapers were doing- especially since their workload was considerably less than his. He guessed they were just as jaded as he was, perhaps even more.

He turned his attention back to his room and continued to sip his tea, finding himself actually missing his lieutenant's boisterous personality and her sake problems.

"Taicho! Taicho!"

Ah, there it was.

He regarded his lieutenant with uninterested eyes as she bounced into the room. "What is it, Matsumoto?"

"Look, Taicho! Look out your window!"

He turned around to see a cloud of colorful smoke billow just from the outside of Seireitei's walls. He smiled to himself and peered back to his busty lieutenant. "You know what this means, right?"

The woman's sky blue eyes lit up and she clapped her hands. "She's back, right? This means a major hide-seek-and-destroy game again! Oh, I can't wait, Taicho!"

Despite his urge to smile, he kept his straight face and lied through his teeth. "No. We have to subdue her quickly. The last time, she made a mess out of Kuchiki-Taicho's barracks, and we don't need that again. She's almost as strong as her brother now, and could probably destroy this whole-"

BOOM!

The ground rumbled as another colorful cloud of smoke made its way towards the skies. He could tell she had already made it successfully inside Seireitei's walls.

"Oh! It's getting closer, taicho! On your orders," Rangiku sang, obviously enjoying the distraction.

Toshiro sighed. "Fine. Go. Hurry and catch her."

"Hai, Taicho!" Rangiku slipped past Toshiro and through the window.

Sea-green eyes stared out the window as he heard the alarm sound. This type of thing happened every few months, when the substitute shinigami's raven-haired sister came to visit her brother. Even though it caused much damage to the barracks in Seireitei, the soul reapers had found this ritual genuinely enjoyable. It was like a large game of hide-and-seek and whoever met the expected intruder got to fight her until someone actually subdued her. People like Ikkaku and Kenpachi especially enjoyed it, searching all over for the powerful female.

Toshiro stared at the explosion that rose in the thirteenth division and witnessed a pillar of ice rise into the air. He saw a black-clothed figure dance around the pillar and gently lower itself onto the ground. By the look of it, she was probably fighting Kuchiki-fukutaicho.

The small battles and suspension had become such an enjoyable time to the soul reapers, especially after days of paperwork, training, and the same daily routines. Eventually, the captain-commander allowed it to happen, only because he found that his troops needed something to stimulate them once in a while. He even ordered a special alarm to sound whenever a colorful explosion lit up the skies. That was her message to them to get ready.

Toshiro spotted flames light up upon the buildings as the black-clothed figure flew upwards. He imagined her feral grin and ringing laughter as she taunted her opponent. The slender form quickly darted away from the site as she escaped through shunpo. Emerald eyes followed the other figure, this one with blond pigtails and a pointer finger directed at the intruder. He assumed that Karin had been previously fighting the third seat of the fifth division, Sarugaki Hiyori.

He smiled as another colorful explosion appeared, this time, near the 6th squad barracks. His eyes spotted Abarai-fukutaicho's bankai rising above the smoke and pink petals flowing in one fluid movement towards a concentrated spot. Her blurred movements steadily grew closer to him. He could see her feral grin and her laughter ringing in his ears already.

Giddy with excitement, he strapped his zanpakuto across his back and ran his fingers through his hair as if the entire routine was troublesome to him.

But one more smile, and he shunpo'ed out of his office, determined to be the one to meet a certain Kurosaki Karin and subdue her.

…

**I hope you enjoyed it, azngirlhere! I had a lot of fun writing this as well. To be honest, I had so many ideas running though my head, but I thought that getting the entirety of Seireitei involved would be so much more fun!**

**Prompts, anyone? PM me or include it in a review. I give due credit. If I haven't done yours yet, I _promise _I'll get around to it.**

**Thanks so much for reading and please, please review. In a way, your encouragements are my inspiration. If you're a writer, you know what I mean. (; So help us out and please, we'd all love a penny for your thoughts. (:**


	19. Boats

**Boats**

**World: AU**

**Summary: His sunken heart keeps makes hers float.**

…

Eyes.

They open.

Hearts close.

His ears hear what

His heart can't and he

Idles along the path. Doesn't

Know what to do. He thinks of

Everybody, but her. And he knows

It kills her inside. Still, he does not think

Of her rambles, her drabbles, her heart. She

Is something to him, but she is nothing. She is

His scapegoat, his relief drug, his alcohol to pain. He

does not hear her pitiful cries, because he does not want to.

He knows

She will

Always

Be there

Because

It is her

He is

Talking

About.

But who

Says she

Will wait?

When he loses the ones he loves and his heart shatters, she does not, absolutely

Not, want to be the one to pick up the pieces. His eyebrows fold in his anger

And still, she does not respond. Because truth is, she still loves him, but

Knows that she can't get what she wants. She knows that rejecting him

Is best for him and leaves his surreal words behind. Her heart shatters

Like his and she can't bring herself to pick them up. She is still

Stuck on his faux love. Her family tells her to give up and she

Tries. Tries and tries and tries. Her head still hurts and heart

Can't take the pain. Even as she tries to lift her head above

The raging sea, it pulls her down and she reaches for

The surface frantically. A breath of air. Who will be

There for her as she falls deep into the abyss?

It is herself that she finds picking up her shattered heart and taping it back together. She learns how to swim on her own, paddling herself to the haven of

the ones who loved her first. She does not dare go back to sea to save him from danger. She floats safely on the boat that keeps her from the gulping sea

and stays away. She is not selfish, but she also doesn't save him because it won't save him in the end. Because even if he drowns, she doesn't save him,

because she still wants the best for him. She wants him to learn how to swim so he can continue to live and move on. Not only for the one she once loved,

but its for herself as well. Because she finds it is only once he lets go, will she let go. And cut will the red string of fate be that once bounded their hearts.

…

**I've always wanted to make a shape with my words. Wait… can you tell? It's a sailboat. I'm actually having a lot of fun making these oneshots…**

**Prompts/ suggestions? Please include it in a review or PM me. I _promise _I'll get around to it.**

**Review please! I'd like to know your thoughts on it and it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much (:**


	20. Genes

**Genes (Light Dmon James&Guest)- August 29, 2012**

**World: Anime/Manga**

**Summary: Just because I inherited their genes, doesn't mean I'm like them.**

…

If you can't tell by my raven-black hair and my turquoise eyes, I don't know where you've been living all your life. It's common knowledge to know who I am. Honestly. I'm not a braggart, or a conceited bastard (coughcoughYumichikacoughcoug h), but even I know my status around Soul Society.

My name? Hitsugaya Yuki. The (currently) only child of Kurosaki Karin and Hitsugaya Toshiro. Blood type: O.

Before you judge me by my parents, who have already predestined my infamous reputation in Seireitei and out, hear me out first.

Just because I inherited their genes, doesn't mean I'm like them.

I love my parents. Honestly.

Mom's the coolest in the world. She cooks, she (sometimes) cleans, an excellent, well-rounded shinigami, and a great Go partner. She fights things head on and never has a problem with what she blurts out. Mom's a very fiery person, and gets tempered easily. While she's not as prone to emotions as you'd think, Mom's quick to anger. I know, because I do a lot of stupid things that I know frustrate Mom. Although I know she wants to blow up at me, I can tell she refrains from doing so. Mom only wants the best for me, and lets me do things at my own pace. Whether it includes being a shinigami or not. Her tolerance and hidden affection makes her what I consider "The Best Mom Ever."

Dad, to be honest, is cooler than Mom. Literally. His ice zanpakuto greatly balances her fiery one, just like their personalities. Dad is a much better trainer than Mom, but he can never beat her in a spar. Probably 'cause he's _still _head over heels in love with her. Even after eighty years. Even though Mom gets mad at him, I know he does it for her. Which is sweet and all, but Mom takes it out on me when we spar (I don't have a choice.). But when Dad gets angry, it's even worse than Mom. The temperature drops, his glare staring right through your soul, the disappointing gaze- it's scary. And, he's a man of few words, so he communicates with his eyes a lot. I guess that's why I'm closer to Mom in a way.

Anyhoo, I love my parents. But seriously, just because I've inherited their "devilishly handsome" looks, Mom's blunt sarcasm, and Dad's icy glares, it doesn't mean I'm like them.

People tell me all the time, how they remember how my parents first met, or how cute/sweet/innocent/adorable/etcetera they are together, but to be honest, I don't care.

Talk to my parents. Chances are, they're probably making out in my Dad's office, working on their second child. But don't bring it up to me. I'm completely different from them. If you have stories to tell, I've heard it all before.

Because unlike my parents, I don't want to be a fighter. I like the medical field. I want to become a healer and do something to help. While kendo is a great skill, it can't lift the sick, nor will it let the blind see. The medical field is my passion. I want to find a way to cure anyone, anything. That's my passion.

I also don't want to follow in their footsteps. What do I mean by that? Simple. I don't want to become a shinigami. Crazy, right? But my parents support me all the way because they know how bad things are outside the walls of Seireitei. They encourage my dream of helping others that actually need the help, and give hope to those who had none.

I don't know how I'm going to achieve it, but I know that there's some way to do it.

Just because I've inherited their dreams, doesn't mean that I'm like them.

…

**I hope you liked, (unknown) Guest, and Light Dmon James. (: This OC was really fun to write. ^^**

**Any prompts or suggestions? Please PM me, or include it in a review. (: I'd greatly appreciate it. **

**Thanks so much for reading. Please review, whether you didn't enjoy it or did. (: But hopefully, it's the latter. ^^**


	21. Ages

**Ages (Light Dmon James)- August 31, 2012**

**World: AU/anime (Shinigami exist, but Toshiro is not one. With Episode 132)**

**Summary: There's such thing as aging gracefully.**

***Toshiro is two years old than Karin. At the start of this fanfic, Karin is approximately 16 years old; Toshiro is 18 years.**

…

5 years after they meet

When Toshiro had seen her for the first time in four years, he's caught staring at her brilliant figure that's hiding so sneakily underneath her baggy clothes… by her brother.

While he may have gotten away unscathed by her brother, he sure as hell didn't get away from her. So while he sported a large red bump on his head, the only thing that ran through his mind were those hypnotizing eyes.

10 years

Walking back to her home with a bag of groceries, Karin's surprised to find a white-haired man standing nonchalantly outside of the fence to her apartment. When he spots her from afar, his eyes widen and he turns his head. Karin rolls her eyes, but secretly loves that he's come to visit her.

She asks him why he's here after so many years and he shrugs with his famous catchphrase-

"Who knows?"

15 years

Toshiro growls as she ruffles his hair. He still doesn't know why he lets her off so easily.

His eyes drift to her grinning face and he smiles as well. He's not sure, but he's found that being by her makes his whole body tingly and his heart beat faster.

He's not exactly sure what to do about it.

20 years

After finishing medical school, Karin watches as a man she's never even dated bend down on one knee and propose to her.

And she says yes.

25 years

He feels like it's a fairy tale- or maybe something along the lines of a romantic soap opera. Toshiro gazes adoringly at the small child he cradles in his arms. The infant looks fragile, and he's unsure about his ability to care for her.

He looks to his wife sleeping soundly on the hospital bed, still clutching his hand tightly. He's never been so proud to be hers.

30 years

Karin laughs, observing her gracefully aging husband lift up their 3-year old son high into the air. Her daughter sits on her lap; she claps joyously and tugs on her mother's shirt because she wants become an airplane too.

Five years of being a mother has been hard on her, but she's never felt so loved in her life. When her 4-year old (almost 5), yanks softly on her shirt once more, Karin puts on a devilish smile and tickles her, making the toddler shriek in laughter.

It's when she feels prickly hands at her sides when she acknowledges just how blessed she is. Karin screeches as her husband and her children tickle her. Her boisterous laughs echo throughout the house.

40 years

Toshiro's on his way to Kyoto- without his wife and kids. He misses them terribly and doesn't know why he was chosen to be a representative for his region at the business conference. Toshiro sighs, takes out a picture of his family, and smiles contently.

The old lady next to him asks him if the family in the picture was his. He smirks, proud to call them his, despite the ice cream stained shirts and messy mouths. The elder chuckles and stares at his love-struck expression.

She reminisces of her deceased lover and the family she used to have.

45 years

Karin sighs. Despite Ichi-nii's warnings, she never expected that having a teenager could be this hard. She remembers when her baby girl was just a baby girl- and not a hormonal teenager in love with a boy that's everything she's disapproved of.

She feels strong arms wrap around her waist and a chin cradle into her neck. Karin tells the man behind her about their daughter and tries her best not to cry because she doesn't want to watch her children hurt.

It's when she hears his soothing voice and his profound words that she knows everything will turn out just right.

50 years

He celebrates his 25th anniversary with his wife in a hotel in Hawaii. He's saved up money for two years to treat her to the most passionate thing that he's ever done for her. And while his lover may not be a romantic, he knows she appreciates it and that's enough for him.

He plucks a hibiscus from a nearby bush and sticks it in her ear. His aging wife's eyes crinkle in mirth and he decides that his entire life has amounted to this moment.

55 years

Karin watches as her son smiles brilliantly against the altar. It hurts to see him leave their family, but she stays strong, confident that her soon-to-be daughter-in-law can take care of him. She takes a peek at her husband's stoic, but adoring expression, knowing that he's going through the exact same thing as her.

When her son and her new daughter-in-law exchanges wedding vows, Karin smiles joyously and leans her head on her husband's broad shoulder.

She's glad to see her son beam with pride as he grabs his wife and kisses her. She hopes that their marriage will be just as blissful as hers.

60 years

Toshiro tells his grandchildren a story as they lay in the bed that used to be their daughter's. Three pairs of ears listen attentively as he uses dragons, knights, and princesses to entertain them, unconsciously using his own romantic story as a base.

One by one, they fall asleep and he kisses each one of them good night before going to his wife.

He gazes at his lover's sleeping form and realizes that he's never uttered the three words a woman had ever want to hear to her.

"_I love you, Karin."_

65 years

Most of her original family is gone- her brother, her father, her mother. Her sister's the only one left. It's something she's never thought of- death. But now that she has, Karin has to admit that she's a bit scared of it.

Despite her fear, Karin stays strong. She knows that when she dies, her husband will be there one day to be with her once more. So when she stands against death, she'll take it head-on and let it consume her.

The next day, when her lover attempts to wake her, she lies still; her hands are cold, but her peaceful smile is not.

70 years

Toshiro has no regrets in his life. He knows that his life is nearing to its end. He can feel it approaching. He subtly wonders if this was what his deceased lover felt like before she passed.

He looks out the window and remembers their wedding under an arch of newly bloomed roses. Before passing, he suddenly sees a woman who looks just his wife- but younger.

Her body is clothed in black and she presses the back of her katana against his forehead.

"_I love you, too."_

…

**I hope you enjoyed those small glimpses of their life. 'Cause, you know… I did. Light Dmon James, your prompt inspired me to write all of this. Thanks (:**

**Any prompts/suggestions? Please PM me or include it in a review! Thanks (:**

**Please review! I really appreciate your input and I would like to know how I could improve.**


	22. Trees

**Trees- August 30, 2012**

**World: AU**

**Summary: Childhood has never been so cherished. Younger!Karin**

…

"Ne, Karin. Come down, will you? Your family's getting worried." The fifteen-year old gazed up at the six-year old Kurosaki Karin, as she stubbornly sat up in the tree.

Obsidian strands of hair flipped back and forth as she shook her head. "No. I don't want to, Toshiro. Leave me alone."

"Come on, Karin. They're all waiting for you at home," Toshiro said, calling to her from below.

Despite his calls, Karin still shook her head. "Why do I have to come home? Momma never came home."

Toshiro's eyes softened as he watched her eyes hardened. No tears left her eyes, but the hurt in her gray orbs were evident. His neighbors were indeed the most eccentric people he had ever met. And to be honest, he genuinely enjoyed the playful atmosphere and the laughter that always seemed to light up the room. But when a drunk killed their mother on impact, the aura that hung around the broken family seemed forced. His friend, Ichigo, seemed to forever have a scowl on his face, pushing away sympathetic comments. Their father had continued being his unconventional self, but even Toshiro could see it was more strained than usual. But he could understand. With their mother gone, Isshin had to pull the family together- and that was difficult because Masaki had always been the center of their happy family. Yuzu, it seemed, had deemed herself to be a replacement for Masaki. She constantly worried about the housework and despite her young age, cooked for the family. It seemed that pretending to be her mother had relieved the hurt that had consumed her.

And Karin.

To be honest, Toshiro always had a soft spot for Karin. Sure, she was stubborn, unwilling, difficult to deal with, and aggressive, but she was a good listener and could detect feelings and moods well. So Toshiro found that being with the first grader was always enjoyable, temporarily assuaging his own troubles. He had been with her often, so he knew that her mother's death had hit her hard. Karin used to cry often, evidence of a child spoiled with her mother's love. But when she learned that her mother was not coming home, the tears stopped coming because she knew that her mother couldn't wipe them for her anymore.

Toshiro sighed. "Karin," he pleaded. "It's getting dark. Please? Will you come home?"

Karin stared at the setting sun on the horizon. "Let me stay, Toshiro."

"Karin. Everyone's worried."

"Then you can go back and tell them. But I want to stay for a bit."

"Fine. I'm coming up there then."

"Don't. Just leave me alone."

Toshiro shook his head silently as he skillfully scaled the tree's large branches and took a seat on the branch next to Karin's. "I know it hurts, Karin," he said softly, watching the sunset. "You don't have to keep it all in. It's okay to cry."

Karin glanced at him callously before concentrating on the scenery in front of her. "I don't need to cry," she muttered, her eyes still hard.

He watched her expressions carefully, trying to locate any hint of emotion in her otherwise stoic appearance. "You still have memories."

Karin did not speak.

Toshiro watched the leaves flutter and fly as the wind blew. "I once had a best friend. We had both been playing out in the driveway. It was something that we did everyday- sun or rain. Our time spent together was precious, and we didn't dare think anything would separate us."

He watched her mouth curve upwards as she reminisced about the small things her mother would do for her.

"One time," Toshiro started, "he had a cousin stay over. She was really nice in front of his parents, but when she babysat us, she was so mean. She made us fill the tub with hot water for her, go to the convenience store to buy snacks for her with our own money, and a whole bunch of other stuff. She would yell at us a lot for being brats. After a while, we became really irritated and decided to play a prank on her. When she was asleep, we put super glue on her hand and tickled her nose. She slapped herself and then, guess what?"

Toshiro smiled at the memory and looked at the petite figure. "Her hand had gotten stuck on her face. She was so angry at us," he smirked. "It was so funny though. To see her hand stuck onto her nose while she was chasing us down with one hand…"

Toshiro's eyes crinkled in mirth as Karin covered her mouth as an attempt to conceal her laughter. His eyes then softened. "You know, Karin. It's okay to laugh, too. Your mother loves you, right? She would want you to move on and be happy for her."

Karin nodded, tears forming in her eyes. She quickly wiped it away with her sleeve. She then smiled at the older boy. "Thanks, Toshiro. I'm ready to go down now."

"Sure." Toshiro climbed down first before helping Karin get down to the ground.

"Let's go home, Karin," he said, extending his hand to hers.

Nodding silently, she took it; his large, coarse hand engulfed her tiny fingers. Something that the boy normally wouldn't have done, he did it for Karin. She was special to him- like a diamond in the making. Whenever he was around her, he had found that his usually cold demeanor had disappeared, replaced with a much more playful one.

His eyes shifted to the sidewalk ahead as he held her small hand, walking her all the way home.

…

**I am so tired. I don't know what it is, but school is just so difficult this year. Even Fridays, I can't go to sleep. -.-**

**I hope you enjoyed! Prompts/suggestions are welcome! Please PM me or include it in a review.**

**Speaking of reviews, please click the box below. I'd really appreciate your comments and your input. (: Thanks! ^^**


	23. Sunsets

**Sunsets- September 1, 2012**

**World: Anime**

**Summary: To them, sunsets are sacred.**

...

They first made their impression on each other on the railing that looked out into the city. As the sun set behind it, Karin had seen the boy look at his phone. Sooner than she knew, her leg kicked a reiatsu-filled soccer ball towards the white-haired male. While Hitsugaya Toshiro was stunned by the amount of spiritual control a human had over her own spiritual power, he quickly returned it, knowing that this type of thing was his forte. But she was amazed by his kick, the soccer ball just barely missing her head. That first imprint stayed in their minds, forever backing up their amazed respect for each other.

...

Their first kiss was at the railing where they made their first impressions. With mixed feelings, both grew closer to each other before finding the other too close for comfort. But when they found that it was strangely relieving, they leaned in closer and a sudden burst of wind unceremoniously crashed their lips together, creating the perfect cliche scene. The sun settled just above their lips.

...

They said their vows in a dimming light. The sun set closer and closer to the horizon and their smiling faces lighting up the scene. They seal it with a kiss.

...

**I hope you enjoyed this short little drabble (:**

**Prompts/suggestions are welcome. Please review ^^**


	24. Hiking

Sedona- September 2, 2012

World: AU

Summary: Hiking with the family is... Eventful.

...

Kurosaki Karin crashed on the bed and her husband soon followed. She groaned as she put her hand to her temples, massaging them callously. "I never knew hiking could be so strenuous," she moaned.

Her husband chuckled weakly. "Neither did I. Should I have known our son was going to climb up there and refuse to come down, I wouldn't have let him go ahead."

Karin smiled. "It's a part of being a boy, you know? Take risks and be 100% confident that there is no chance you'll fall of a cliff or crack your head."

"Yeah, but..." Toshiro's voice trailed off and his eyes wandered around the room. "That includes coming down as well." He sighed. "I guess it was just a parent thing."

"I know," Karin nodded. "I was worried, too. I'm just glad you were there to get him."

Toshiro nodded. "And then we were stopped by the park ranger because he wanted to take the hiking stick home. I feel bad for the park ramger."

Karin chuckled and looked into her husband's sea-green orbs. "I remember. He got so mad and stomped on the ranger's foot. By the sound of it, it was pretty darn hard too."

Karin laughed and stood up at the foot of the bed. "Hey. At least Yuko was good. She stayed back pretty often."

Toshiro shook his head. "If you mean asking for a piggyback ride every few minutes."

"Come on," she said, winking at him. "I want to see those muscles that developed while carrying her."

Toshiro smirked. "Everything is an excuse for you to look at my chest. Well, to tell you the truth, you don't need an excuse. You are my wife, after all."

Karin perked an eyebrow. "Really, now? Because whenever I want to see it, you make an excuse."

"That's because it's embarrassing."

Karin laughed. "You? Embarassed? Maybe you're just growing a potbelly."

Toshiro's eyes widened in horror. "Of course not! Even though I don't exercise as much anymore, I still do exercise."

"Mhm," Karin grew closer to Toshiro and climbed upon the bed.

The white-haired man ignored her advances. "No doubting allowed," he reprimanded lightly.

"Come on," Karin pleaded. "We haven't had a moment like this in a while."

"Karin! I'm talking about now! Just, please! Not now when the kids are here."

Karin grinned and fell on top of her husband. "Whoops," she laughed, not bothering to go get up from the bed. But when a meek knock arrived at their door...

"Momma? Dad?"

A high, girly voice sounded as well. "Dad?"

Karin sighed and got up. Before opening the door, she pointed a finger at him. " We're continuing this later."

Toshiro smirked and shook his head.

...

**100th review! Whoohoo! Congrats goes to Thinking Hurts my Brain! I'll think of something cool to do for you. Just give me a shoutout if you need anything. (:**

**Review and prompts/suggestions, please? You know, the normal routine. ^^**


	25. You Jelly?

**You Jelly? (hitsukarin4lyf and FrostyNight98)- September 1, 2012**

**World: Anime/Manga**

**Summary: Does his jealousy matter when her heart is already his?**

…

It was his pride. His damn pride wouldn't let him admit the obvious- the actions that so evidently stuck out like a sore thumb, announcing to the boy in front of the couple that he was her boyfriend and he wanted Karin to be his.

Except he _wasn't _her boyfriend. And she _wasn't _his.

Despite that, he made it very clear to every boy within the club that she was taken; she was his for the night, and assuming that, the rest of her life. None had dared approached her in fear of tangling with the man that sat still besides her as she downed cup after cup of alcohol with her friends.

Except for _him._

The damn bastard- he approached Karin the minute he stepped into the room. Perhaps it was her up-do, a simple ponytail that fell over her shoulders and curled around her collarbone. Or maybe, it was her scantily clad figure, dressed in a dark-blue halter-top and black shorts that revealed her long legs. Not that he wasn't having a hard time looking where he wasn't supposed to, but of course, his pride and honor as a gentleman did not allow him to become jealous of any kind.

Beside the point, the well-dressed bastard just snuggled right up next to her, flirting with the raven-haired woman the very first chance he got.

He had to admit though- the man was extremely good at conniving women. He had already convinced Karin's friends to leave her behind, dancing, giggling, and sneaking peeks at the handsome playboy.

But of course, Hitsugaya Toshiro wasn't a woman, and therefore, saw right through the man. He draped a single arm around the waist of an intoxicated Karin, despite knowing that she would most likely remember this, and punch him for it later. But it was for a good cause, he desperately thought to himself.

Karin laughed a bit, and talked with him as well, slurring her words every so often and clutching a glass cup full of alcohol. Toshiro groaned to himself, knowing that Karin just talking made the man even more interested in her- and his job that much harder.

He made small talk with the smooth-talker, shooting icy glares every so often at the oblivious man. When he found that the bastard would not go away, he grew closer to Karin, and blew lightly on her ear as if he really was hers.

And his opponent didn't do a damn thing. He just smirked and laughed. He then proceeded to wink at him, and asked him if they could do her together.

That was the first time Hitsugaya Toshiro ever showed emotion so vividly. Without thinking, a punch was thrown at the pretty boy's face, and everyone looked between the man who was clutching the side of his face, and the other man who had punched it. Embarrassed by the attention, but not for hitting the man, he took Karin by the hand and marched her outside the club. Her friends just giggled; they probably knew his affections for her already, even if he didn't.

He talked with her, admonishing her for her foolish actions, despite knowing that she probably couldn't hear him at all with all that alcohol in her system. She nodded her head once in a while, and stumbled even though she was standing still. After a bit, he just held her by the arms, stabilizing her stance.

His eyes were drawn to her seductive gray orbs, as she rambled on about something that he didn't really care for. But his ears did perk when he heard her say something comprehensible.

"You jelly?" She slurred, extending the "you" a bit farther than she should have.

It was a silly phrase; it was one usually for joking around and quote on quote, "trolling," but those teasing words opened his mind. Toshiro's turquoise eyes widened in realization as he let go of the intoxicated woman's arms.

He _was_ jealous. Amazingly so. And it wasn't the type of jealous when a mother finds that her son prefers his friends to her, or when a friend prefers to hang out with a different friend instead. Nope. He was jealous because he _wanted _her.

He was so blinded by his damn pride, that he couldn't put the pieces together to find that his heart actually belonged to the aggressive girl that stumbled in front of him. His arms once more wrapped around her slender figure tightly, and he breathed her rosy scent. He didn't really care whether she would remember the next day at this moment; he was so wrapped up in his epiphany to care.

But he didn't see her half-smile, and he didn't notice her arms limply wrap around his figure either. Hitsugaya Toshiro had yet to notice one more thing.

Her heart, intoxicated or not, was already his.

…

**This was so much fun to write! I hope it's kind of what you expected, hitsukarin4lyf. (:**

**This is also kind of my apology for the half-assed stories I've been writing the past two days. I was down in Sedona with my friend and I totally forgot to bring my computer. So I brought my iPod and wrote those sorry-assed drabbles on it instead at 3 AM or whatever. Yippee.**

**So anyways, I really appreciate your prompts, guys. So keep 'em coming (: Remember, just PM me, or include it in a review.**

**I'd also greatly appreciate your reviews. It always makes me happy to see them when I check in the next day. While I'm a bit slow at replying to them, I try to find the time between school and homework and life to reply to your reviews. So…**

**Click that button! (:**


	26. The First

**The First (Light Dmon James)- September 4, 2012**

**World: AU**

**Summary: There's nothing more precious than holding your first child.**

…

To be honest, there were actually no words to describe how he felt at this moment. He could actually say an array of things, ranging from adoration to fright, but none of them accurately describes the swell of emotions that burst in his heart.

His large, slender arms held the tiny child whom slept soundly in his arms. A small smirk formed on his face, and his eyes softened slightly at the raven-haired infant. Already, the newborn had a thick head of hair.

And his eyes. Toshiro just couldn't get enough of those tiny turquoise orbs. When Karin had first introduced the baby, Toshiro could not keep his eyes away from those brilliant sea-green.

This time, Toshiro actually smiled.

All he could think about was his life as a parent with Karin, watching his little boy grow to be a teenager, then an adult. He couldn't fathom the excitement that rose in the pit of his stomach.

He was a father. And Karin was the mother. His eyes wandered to his wife's sleeping form on the hospital bed, a faint smile on her exhausted face. His eyes crinkled in tenderness as he watched her chest rise slowly and then the opposite.

They were a family- him, Karin, and the infant. In an instant, he knew- he knew that hardships would hit, and trials would come, but he knew that their bonds would be too hard to break. He smile and snuggled the newborn under the blanket more.

He whispered quietly, to no one in particular. But he hoped his child could hear, could hear the emotion and the happiness that resided in his words.

"Hajime."

…

**Hajime means beginning. That makes sense, right?**

**Hope you enjoyed. ^^**

**Prompts/suggestions are greatly appreciated. Please include it in a review or PM me.**


	27. Dresses

Dresses- September 5, 2012

World: AU

Summary: She'll only wear it for him.

...

Karin doesn't like dressing up. Period. She hates the hassle of everything that went with it- the makeup, the dresses, and all that formal junk that made her cringe every time she was forced to do something of the like.

So when she finally realizes that she's going to have to dress up BIG because she's the bride, Karin freaks.

Karin understands how Yuzu is attractive, and guard her while she's pretty as well. No one except for the blind could see that she was exceptionally pretty all on her own. And poor guys, she's quick to pity them, but still don't understand.

But she likes her mystery- So it's a wonder to her how no one hates on her dresses.

She finally concedes to wear it for him, grudgingly rehearsing walking in the long dress for him. And when the big day comes, she plasters a smile.

She loves him so much, that even dresses, the bane for her existence, won't lold her back.

...

So tired... Lol. Sorry for the late update.

Review (:


	28. Watermelon

**Watermelon (Thinking Hurts my Brain)- August 31, 2012**

**World: Anime/Manga**

**Summary: There are many ways to obtain a taste of watermelon.**

…

While there are many mysterious things about Hitsugaya Toshiro, there is one thing everyone knows is certain.

The normally stoic, uptight, 10th division captain loves watermelon.

Matsumoto Rangiku knows to bring her captain a large bin of watermelon when coming back from an unexpected visit to the human world, to soften his anger as he dutifully reprimands her for her irresponsibility.

Ukitake Jyuushiro flatters the young captain with all assorted flavors of watermelon-flavored candies, and Toshiro lets the elder captain get away with calling him 'Shiro-chan' because of it.

The only reason Toshiro tolerates Yachiru is because of her tendency to bring candies around, and the pink-haired vice-captain always carries watermelon-flavored ones because she knows "Whitey-Tidey" likes it.

So it's only natural that Karin knows how to bribe the white-haired captain into tolerating quote-on-quote, "silly human things."

…

Around episode 132

"Toshiro!"

His head turned to see a slender girl run towards him excitedly. She held up a bag to his face while she panted slightly.

"I… got you some watermelon."

His eyes lit up and he grabbed the bag. "Did you really?"

His hands reached into the plastic bag to pull out a round, green fruit. "What do you want, Kurosaki?"

Karin grinned. "You know me too well."

"Seriously. I'm not giving back the watermelon, but I want to know what you want."

Karin put her hands behind her head. "We're behind one player because he broke his leg. We need someone to fill in because we don't want to get eliminated the first round."

"Hn."

Smiling widely, she ruffled his hair. "I knew you'd help me, Toshiro!"

…

Around episode 316

"Ne, Toshiro."

"Yes, Kurosaki?"

"Will you be my date for the school festival?"

Toshiro's eyes widened. "Erm.. I-I'm flattered, but I don't th-think shinigami and h-humans can have that type of relationship," he sputtered, genuinely stupefied that the tomboy had asked him.

Karin laughed. "I didn't mean it, really. I just wanted to see your expression. Besides, there's no way I'd go with you. You're too silent for my tastes."

Toshiro cringed. Ouch. That hurt.

"No, but seriously," Karin looked up at the ceiling of her bedroom. "I kind of made a bet with this one kid, and now I need to follow through. Otherwise, I'll have to do his homework for a month _and _cash in twenty dollars. I'm already short on time as it is."

Toshiro perked an eyebrow. "What's in it for you?"

Karin beamed. "He does my homework for a month and I get forty."

"Why do you get more cash than he does from you?"

"'Cause he doesn't think I can get a date. But now that you're here, everything's okay."

"No."

Karin's jaw dropped. "I thought you were my best friend!"

"I will not be used for betting purposes."

She scowled. "You're the worst best friend ever."

"I'm afraid that's one-sided."

Karin twitched, but continued. "I can buy a certain green, round fruit for you."

Toshiro's head turned, just slightly enough so Karin could see his interest.

She grinned widely, knowing that she's already caught him.

…

High School for Karin

Karin groaned. "I knew you would come back, but why the hell would you pretend to be a teacher? And why the hell did it have to be my class?"

The faux human shrugged. "Soul Society wanted me to keep an eye on you. Apparently, you've been attracting a lot of hollows."

Karin scowled. "Urahara's a cheapskate. All his products don't work as well as they used to."

Toshiro's eyebrows raised. "I think your spiritual pressure is getting too much for simple products to handle. But you're right. Urahara should actually be able to sense that by now. But you are able to kill hollows, right? Even in human form?"

Karin snorted. "I only have one form, Toshiro. I have absolutely no desire to become more spiritual than I already am. And yes. If I attract hollows, I have to find a way to defend myself."

"I know. I've seen you. I still believe that your hollow-killing can use a bit of refinement, though. I think we should train sooner or later."

"What about never? I told you, I have absolutely no desire to become one of you."

"I understand, Kurosaki. But Yamamoto-taichou ordered it, which must be important because Soul Society never usually intervenes with the Human World."

"Why in the world would you have to intervene now?"

"It seems you have high potential."

"Hell to high potential. What about this?- train me as a human with your kendo or whatever in order to be able to defend myself against lower hollows and I'll give you watermelon. Done deal."

"What if there's a higher hollow that comes after you?"

"I'll talk to Urahara about making me something to contain my spiritual pressure."

"Deal."

**...**

College for Karin

"I swear, ever since Urahara's made me this thing, I haven't attracted a single hollow. Seriously."

"Don't worry. I didn't come back for you."

"Well, what did you come back for then?"

"You."

"I thought you just said you didn't come back for me."

"Well, no. I mean yes. I mean- I didn't come back on a command from Soul Society. I came on my own accord."

Karin rolled her eyes. "Good job. You can think for yourself now."

"I'm not incompetent, Kurosaki."

"Oh yeah? Whenever I want you to do something, you always do it. You know why?"

"I do not."

"You do," Karin insisted. "It's always about watermelon, watermelon, watermelon."

"I think about other things, too. I didn't come back to the Human World just for watermelon."

"Just for watermelon," reiterated Karin. "That means that watermelon was of some significance to your decision to come back. Whatever else was your decision must've been lucky to have diverted your attention."

Toshiro gulped. Was it okay to tell her that he came back for her?

Karin huffed and stomped off.

"Wait-" Toshiro reached for her hand and gripped it tightly, pulling her into his arms.

"Let go of me! This is harassment, I tell you! Harrassment!"

"Shh. Not so loud. We're in public."

"Like hell, I'll shut up. I rather enjoy my virginity, thank you very much."

"It's not that, Kurosaki. Just be less-"

"Stop telling me what to do! Seriously!"

"Karin, I'm not telling you what to do. I'm just-"

"Why'd you come to visit me anyways? Don't you have to go find your precious watermelon or-"

Unceremoniously, his lips crashed onto hers and her eyes widened. They stayed like that for a minute, Karin's head gears whirling in confusion, and Toshiro's head in a state of bliss.

When he finally pulled away, he licked his lips. Watermelon-flavored chapstick for the win.

…

**I've realized that maybe writing everyday isn't the best idea. :/ While I will still continue to write like this, I think I'll shorten it from a year to… something else. It's hard for me because I have a large workload this year and I don't want it to hinder the writing that I dish out to you guys. It's never my best work if I rush it.**

**So… prompts/suggestions? And if you could include how long you'd want this fanfic to run… at the least, that'd be great. (:**

**Thanks so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed and I'd LOVE it if you reviewed. (:**


	29. Brand New Book

**Brand New Book- September 7, 2012**

**World: Anime**

**Summary: Inspired by Train's Brand New Book- it's the turning of a brand new page.**

…

There she was. Raven hair, gray orbs, and a slender figure in all its glory. He watched her lithe form from an extending branch as she laughed and waved her friends off. When she was sure her friends were gone, her criticizing gaze followed the reiatsu of a certain white-haired shinigami.

"You can come down now, Toshiro."

He jumped down from the branch and wiped his jeans. "Your reiatsu control's gotten better, Kurosaki."

Karin rolled her eyes. "Yeah, like you would know. I haven't seen you in what? Three years? And it didn't occur to you to say hi at all?"

"It's hard to get away."

"Don't give me that," Karin shook her head at the excuse. "Knowing you, you probably had a lot of vacation days piled up. You could've used those to come visit, you know."

The Tenth Division's Captain shrugged callously.

"Hm… Well, you've been gone for so long, so I get at least _something _from you. What about ice cream? You'll buy me a cone, right?"

"Depends. What flavors?"

"Who knows? You owe me anyways, Toshiro."

"Fine. Where are we going?"

"A place," Karin winked, walking ahead of him.

Toshiro grunted and closely followed her behind.

…

"Oh. So this time, you took two years, huh? Great job. You missed my entire high school life."

"Hey. At least I came to visit, Kurosaki."

Karin scoffed. "Geez. You seriously could've alerted me somehow. Or kept in touch. A note would be nice, too."

"I have a lot of paperwork already."

"You're hopeless, Toshiro," Karin grumbled. "I feel bad for the woman who marries you."

His eyebrow perked at her statement. "Oh?"

Gray eyes rolled. "Yes Toshiro- 'oh.' If you can't come to visit a friend, I wonder how it'll turn out for your wife."

"Well," Toshiro elaborated, "I hope that my wife turns out to be more important than a friend."

"I'll pray hard for her," Karin muttered to herself.

"I heard that."

…

"Hey Kurosaki."

"Oh. My. God. Get out of my face, Toshiro."

"That's not a nice way to greet a friend."

Karin glared at him irritably. "_Friends_," she emphasized, "don't forget to visit each other for four damn years."

"Why don't you come visit me then?"

"Uh… lack of deadness, maybe?"

"You don't need to be dead in order to enter Soul Society. You just need to have a spiritual form."

"In case you forgot, dumbass," Karin spat. "I don't have one of those either. Now- don't make me damn repeat myself. Get. Out. Of. My. Sight."

"Fine, Kurosaki," he dismissed as he jumped out the window. "But just so you know," he called up from the ground, "Your dad's invited me to sleep at his house for the duration of my stay."

"Shit."

…

"Oh, look who remembered to show up this time."

"I only took a year."

"Yeah, but how old am I now? Twenty-two? It's been ten years since I've known you and I've only seen you four or five times."

Toshiro changed the subject. "How are your studies?".

Karin turned away from him. "How'd you know where I was?"

"I visited your house to find you weren't there. Yuzu told me you were here. You're lucky I could shunpo. Otherwise, I wouldn't have come to visit at all."

Karin glared at him. "Oh yeah," she drawled. "Because you've become such a major part of my life. For your information, I have other friends besides you."

"I know. I'm just the most important."

…

"Nice. Only six months."

"Kurosaki! Why are you getting married? And why him?"

Karin rolled her eyes. "Even I can fall in love, you know. I'm not entirely incapable of seducing a man."

"Bu-but it's only been six months since I've last seen you! Why would you decide to marry someone in that short of a time?"

"You know, I've been dating him for two years now."

Toshiro's eyes widened at the news. "What? How come I've never known?"

Karin shrugged. "You never asked."

Toshiro's eyes gazed at her longingly and his tone softened. "You can't marry him, Kurosaki. He's… not right for you."

Karin raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Please… tell me more," she enunciated sarcastically.

"I just know, okay? He's not worthy of you."

"And who is? Because if he isn't, then who the hell is?"

Silence.

"I suppose it's you, huh? You think you're so perfect for me, right?"

Silence.

"Yeah, that's right, Toshiro. Let me choose who I want to marry. It's not your decision."

…

He came back in three months just to see her get married. Something he's realized that he doesn't want.

"Speak now or forever hold your peace," the priest boomed.

Toshiro takes a deep breath and cautiously raises his hand. Before he chickens out, he forces himself to stand up and speak. "I, Hitsugaya Toshiro, cannot allow this couple to get together."

The entire room is silent. Karin's glaring at him angrily and her soon-to-be wedded husband's eyes widen in surprise.

The priest coughs, obviously not prepared for a situation like this- since no one has actually taken the chance to speak out against a marriage. "May I ask why?"

Clean and simple. "I love you, Kurosaki Karin."

…

He doesn't regret his choice to confess, but he does regret not coming back sooner. It's been almost six years since he's walked the streets of Karakura and he's amazed of how the entire aura has changed now that the kids he used to know while he was here were all grown up and perhaps, even had families.

He didn't know if Kurosaki Karin had a family, much less a spouse yet. After he confessed, he didn't know what happened to the seemingly perfect couple. He had fled the room before Karin could talk to him at all.

"Toshiro!"

His eyes dart to the voice that comes steadily closer to him. All of a sudden, a weight comes upon him and he feels long, slender legs envelop his body. Rosy lips envelop his and lean arms wrap around his neck.

Toshiro's green eyes widen in surprise as it comes in contact with the raven hair he knows so well. "Karin," he mutters against her lips.

She pulls back and jumps off of him before punching him in the face soundly. "You know," she said annoyingly, "you could've warned me. I would've liked to know that you loved me before I got married. And you didn't have to stay away for _six fucking years_."

Toshiro was still in a state of shock. "W-wait, Karin. Would you h-have dumped that guy for me?"

Karin rolled her eyes. "Of course, dumbass. I've liked you for a while."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Karin grinned. "For me, the man's gotta take the initiative."

"B-but… your fiancé…"

Karin waved her hand to dismiss the statement. "Done and gone."

"B-but… you said…"

"Like I said, done and gone. However, now that you're here, I'm not letting you go. What do you say to being mine?"

Toshiro genuinely smiled when he realized she was his. "Of course, Kurosaki."

"You mean, Karin."

He chuckled. "Of course, _Karin._"

"Does this mean more visits?"

"Maybe you can come and live with me."

Karin thought about it. "Maybe. Now that I have a reason, it doesn't sound too shabby to become a spirit- that's still living, of course."

He laughed. "Well, here's goes to a brand new book."

Karin smiled at him and looped her arm in his. "And it's going to be a damn good one."

…

**Hope you enjoyed (:**

**I think I'll put up a poll sooner or later asking how long you want the fanfic to be. Because if you want 365 chapters in a story, that's fine, too. I just didn't want this story to seem like a drag to you.**

**Prompts/suggestions would be AMAZING. I love writing them. I give due credit. ^^**

**Please review! (:**


	30. Pieces of Thread

**Pieces of Thread- September 8, 2012**

**World: AU**

**Summary: Even he knew, their hearts were sewn together**.

...

He liked her when he first had seen her walking the halls of the school. Her confident walk hypnotized him as she bypassed him, leaving him in her wake. While most girls scorned her, and the boys jeered her, the raven-haired girl's head was always above theirs, her brash attitude leaving them not much to say. He kept tabs on her, but slowly, she faded from his

mind as more important things overcame his life.

_(But their hearts were already connected, and the pieces of thread were not ready to fall apart just yet.)_

Her name was Karin. Kurosaki Karin. They were in the same grade and one of the most intelligent, so they were bound to be in a class together. While working on a project, he discovered that although her head-on attitude caused a lot of problems, and irritated him at times, he had found a true and loyal friend whom he knew would stick with him through thick and thin. His respect for the soccer-loving figure swelled even more, and he found himself smiling a lot more.

_(The pieces of loose thread started to sew themselves back together.)_

College came and both of them were devastated when they found that their ambitions weren't the same.

They split paths and attempted to keep in touch, but after a while, the phone calls got shorter and shorter, until there was literally no need to call the other. They had seemed to move on.

_(But their hearts are connected by something strong, a thin piece of thread still bonds them.)_

They have new lives now and haven't seen each other in 2 years. It's a long time to wait, but they figure, better now or never. They both have that stubborn, impulsive attitude that pushed them to do things a normal person could not do- although their personalities are on different sides of the scale. They instantly connect, jabbering about the newest indie-rock bands and reminiscing old high school memories. It starts from there.

_(The hearts see what they can't, and starts to pull the pieces of thread together once again. Only once they realize what they need to, will the last string connect.)_

...

**Yeah... Eight hours late? I was writing this, and then I fell asleep. When I woke up, I was like WTF? So... Enjoy. ^^**

**Prompt me, suggestions please, and review my story. (:**


	31. All the Pretty Things Pt 1

All the Pretty Things (Pt. 1)- September 13, 2012

**World: AU**

**Summary: All the small moments in their lives- the birthdays, the interlopers, the parenthood- all mixed into. Let's finish with a bang.**

…

School (Light Dmon James)- 7 years old

"Move it, midget. I need to get to class," the seven-year old ordered, shoving the white haired boy to the lockers.

"Hey!"

She paused momentarily in the bustling hallway to turn and glare at the boy. "What is it?"

"I'm not a midget!"

Karin put her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow. "Sure, and I'm a boy," she teased, sticking her tongue out. "Let it go."

She quickly walked away, leaving a stunned white-haired boy to watch her back.

Drawing (Thinking Hurts my Brain)- 7 ½ years old

"Ne, Toshiro. Take a look at this."

"What is it, Kurosaki?" His teal eyes wandered to his partner's drawing.

"Do you like it?"

"What's it supposed to be?" The 7-and-a-half (Toshiro was quite adamant about the "half") year old cocked his head in wonder to better understand the picture. "Is it you and… Ikkaku-san?"

Karin laughed. "Naw, Ikkaku-san's not that cool to draw. Take a closer look," she grinned.

Toshiro squinted, taking a better look at the boy holding Karin's hand on the piece of paper. "Is, is… is that me!?"

Karin beamed. "Yep!"

Looking at her bewilderingly, he stuttered. "B-but, it's… I mean, I'm not bald! Look at all this hair!" He gestured to the large white mop of hair on his head.

"Well, yeah," she joked, ruffling his hair. "I just wanted to see you bald."

"Put hair on it. Now."

"Aw… did wittle Shiro-chan get a boo-boo?"

"No, I apparently lost a lot of hair. Put it on, Kurosaki."

Karin pouted. "Fine. But for the record, you're no fun."

"Didn't mean to be."

Sports (Guest)- 8 years old

"Go Karin!" He yelled, pumping a fist in the air. The eight-year old watched as the raven-haired twin run with the ball. "The goal's right there! Go get it!"

Karin grinned as she scored a point and ran back with her teammates, high-fiving each one as they ran past her. Both of her hands were in a peace sign. "I did it, Toshiro!"

Toshiro smiled back at her and held up a peace sign as well. "Good job," he called.

Playdoh (Light Dmon James)- 8 ½ years old

"Can you tell what this is?"

"A soccer ball."

"You're so good!"

"Not really," he shrugged, sculpting his own masterpiece with the squishy playdoh.

Karin leaned onto Toshiro, "what's that supposed to be?"

"A dragon."

Karin gaped. "Oh! I can see it! That's so cool!"

Toshiro smirked. "Yeah. I named it Hyorinmaru."

"You named it?" She looked at him incredulously and shook her head. "It's good, but not good enough to name."

"Hey!"

Birthdays (FrostyNight98)- 10 years old

"Happy Birthday, Toshiro!"

Karin jumped up high and tackled the new 10-year old to the ground. She pouted, "Now you're older than me. I'm still nine and you get to be ten. That's not fair."

"What are you talking about, Kurosaki? I was always older than you, remember?" Toshiro rolled his eyes at Karin's playfulness and pushed her off of him.

"Yeah, but I don't like it," she said, crossing her legs on the carpet. "Oh. Here's you present." She extended two hands upwards with a big red present in her hands.

"Thanks," he said, taking the gift and putting it on the table.

Karin got up and dusted her shorts. "What do you want to do now," she asked, placing her hands behind her head.

Toshiro shrugged. "Anything you want. I'm not particularly picky, you know."

"What? It's your birthday! Why should I decide?"

"Fine. Let's play Othello or shogi."

"Just kidding. I'll decide."

Sweets (ToxiicLolita)- 13 years old

"No."

"Toshiro," she reprimanded lightly, "stop being a loser."

"I said no, Kurosaki. I have some business to attend to."

"Toshiro, just help me with this one thing. I don't know how to cook," Karin pleaded.

"You have a brilliant sister who can cook for the entire Japanese army. Why not ask Yuzu?"

"Yeah, but she needs to make chocolates of her own, and I don't want to hinder her grade. You don't have to make chocolates and you're good at cooking. I think."

Toshiro glared at the Kurosaki before continuing to walk. "Fine. But lets make it quick."

Karin grinned. "'Kay."

…

SPLAT.

"Damn it, Kurosaki! That's the third batter you've messed up!"

"Shut up! I know I'm not good at cooking! You don't have to rub it in my face!"

"Then get better!"

"Oh yeah. Because I can become a genius at cooking like that," she emphasized sarcastically.

"Let's go through this one more time. If we don't get it, you're on your own."

"You're so sweet, Toshiro," she said, rolling her eyes.

…

"Bye, Toshiro. Thanks for helping. I really appreciated it."

Toshiro nodded his head in response. "See you tomorrow, Kurosaki." He turned to leave and shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Wait-"

Toshiro turned his head at the sudden sound. "What is it?"

"Wa-wait here. I have something for you."

He raised an eyebrow, but waited until she came back.

"Here," she said, handing him a small bag of chocolates. "It's a small batch, but I think you deserve it after helping me for a few hours," she joked.

Toshiro smirked. "Yeah."

The Beach (HitsuKarin4lyf)- 17 years old

Hot summer days were not Toshiro's thing, but it was _definitely _Karin's thing. "Come on, Toshiro! The water's fun!"

"No thanks, Kurosaki," he said, lowering his sunglasses to gaze at the swimsuit-clad Karin. "I'd rather stay under this umbrella and read this book."

Karin got out of the water and dried herself before taking a seat next to him. "Sheesh. You're such a party pooper. I wish that you could have some fun in your life."

That's what she didn't get- he _was_ having fun. Watching a toned, tan Karin _in a bikini_ splash around in the water with Yuzu and Jinta was interesting enough. He wouldn't say staring crudely at Karin's more developed parts was his idea of fun, but it was entertaining to watch the girl his affections belonged to in a bikini. But he knew Karin would kill him if she found out he was… ahem… _staring._ So he hid behind _Pride and Prejudice, _pretending like the book was the most interesting thing he's ever read- even though it was boring as hell.

"What's it about anyway?" Karin asked, leaning over to peek at the book.

Toshiro's eyes drew to her ample cleavage and looked away before he could get caught. "Something."

Karin rolled her eyes, took a drink and stood up. "Geez, you better come out sooner or later. Otherwise, I'll have fun without you."

_No thanks_, he silently thought, _I'd rather watch over you._

But like he said, there was no way he was going to tell _that _to Karin.

Blackouts (FrostyNight98)- 19 years old

"Uh… what happened to the light?"

Toshiro looked around, but only to see the black that encircled him. "It's looks like a blackout."

Karin's eyes widened. "So does that mean I'm stuck stumbling in the dark."

Toshiro shrugged. "I guess. I'll go find some candles."

"Where's the couch? I can't see, Toshiro," Karin whined, blindly shoving her hands in front of her in an attempt to avoid tripping on something.

"I know, Kurosaki. Just wait."

Karin's squinted her eyes. "Geez, I can't see! I'm going to… WAH!"

Toshiro heard a sound thump from the living room. "What happened?" He called.

"Shit! I didn't think a damn coffee table could hurt so much."

Toshiro rolled his eyes and continued to look for the candles. "Bear with it, Karin. It's just a bruise."

"Geez. At least tell me where your couch is!"

"Just wait patiently," Toshiro said, finally pulling out a few candles and a matchbox. "I'm just lighting them up."

"Hurry up, Toshiro! I don't know where I'm going!"

"Come on, Karin! It's just a little darkness," he said, "I know you're stronger that this."

"Yeah," Karin hesitated, "but… the dark… it's so… big."

Toshiro peeked his head into the room with candlelight. Raising an eyebrow, he wondered if the dark was one of the things Karin feared.

"It's okay," he said, calming Karin a bit with the sight of the flickering light. "At least we have a bit of light left."

"What if it goes out?" Karin started to gravitate towards him.

"You'll be fine, Karin. Seriously. Besides, I'm here."

"Cocky midget," Karin scoffed.

"Hey. That's no way to call your light source."

"Whatever. Where's the couch? Lead me to it."

Toshiro took her by the arm and sat both of them on the couch. "So," Karin started, "what do you want to do now?"

"Who knows?"

"Don't give me that half-assed response. I need something real to do."

"Whoops. The candle light ran out."

"What?" Karin jumped and tripped on her foot. "Ouch! Why does the hell does it hurt so much?"

"Calm down, Karin. It's just a blackout."

"Oww…" she winced, grasping her foot in pain.

"Are you okay?"

Toshiro's lights flickered on and her pained foot was forgotten. Karin's eyes lit up as she spotted the brightness evade the room.

"Thank God! I've never been so proud of light in my life!"

Toshiro laughed.

…

**So… I've been gone for the past three days. School is not as easy as people make it out to be. I've been up late studying for shitty exams all three nights. -.-**

**Anyways, I've decided to end it here. This is the first part, and the second part will come tomorrow. So it's officially a month. In chapters. But I'll change the title from "A Year of HitsuKarin" to "A Month of HitsuKarin."**

**As you can see, I've decided to use all of your prompts to collaborate one big AU piece. I hope you enjoyed it. (:**

**I'd appreciate your reviews. ^^**


	32. All the Pretty Things Pt 2

**All the Pretty Things (Pt. 2)- September 13-14, 2012**

**World: AU**

**Summary: All the small moments in their lives- the birthdays, the interlopers, the parenthood- all mixed into one celebratory one-shot. Let's finish with a bang.**

**…**

Compromising Situations (Black Rose)- 18 years old

"Jinta-kun! Stop running, or you'll knock over something!" Yuzu called, her hand raised with a black spatula in her hand. "Ichi-nii, stop chasing him!"

Jinta slid to a stop when Yuzu's heavenly voice spoke, but Ichigo paid no attention. Which meant that he just kept running and running- right into Jinta. And although Ichigo had managed to catch himself before he landed completely on the red-haired teen, Jinta had not been so lucky.

Silence.

"Woah, Toshiro. Didn't know you swung that way," Karin snickered, looking at the two red-faced boys.

"Get off of me," Toshiro growled, pushing the redhead off of him roughly. "It's not what you think, Kurosaki."

"Yeah, sure. That's why I've never heard of you liking a girl, huh?"

"Not true! I-I've liked a lot of girls…"

"It's okay, Toshiro. You don't need to cover up. I don't have anything against gay people. I mean, I hang out with Jinta here all the time," she laughed, taking the disheveled Jinta in a headlock.

"Hey! Kurosaki! You know I'm n-not that way," Jinta stuttered. He clutched at the raven-haired Kurosaki's arm coarsely.

"Anyway," Karin continued, "We should have a celebration! Yuzu! Get out the sparkling apple cider! Jinta and Toshiro are getting together."

Poor Yuzu, her face was red- most likely from the misconception that her beloved Jinta-kun was gay. "I-if Jinta-kun's happy, I'm happy," she said, sniffling a bit more than normal. She left to dig out the apple cider in the fridge.

"Wait, Yuzu!" Jinta called, but to no avail. He hung his head in shame, and Karin snickered.

"You've got Toush-y here now, Jinta! You can't afford to break his fragile, little heart right after you've got together!"

"I'm not gay, Kurosaki!"

Karin let go of the redhead and dropped him onto the floor. She waved a hand and dismissed Jinta's comment. "Details, details."

"Kurosaki," Toshiro started, "I'm not gay, you-"

"Good," Ichigo sighed. "I thought I was going to have to defend Karin against you, too. I've glad you've found true love, Toshiro."

"What did I say? I'm not-"

"You don't need to cover up! Just embrace it!" Karin cheered, fist-pumping in the air.

"I told you, I'm-"

"Here's the sparkling apple cider," cried Yuzu, looking considerably happier than she was when she left the room.

"There's no reason to-"

"Yeah! Let's celebrate, Toshiro! Give Jinta a celebratory kiss on the cheek! None of that mouth-to-mouth stuff, 'cause you can do that-"

"How many times do I have to tell you?! I'm not gay!"

…

Meet the Parents (Light Dmon James)- 20 years old

Toshiro tugged at his collar uncomfortably. "Er.. Karin? I've already met your dad. Do I have to meet him again?"

"Well, yes," Karin said, fixing the tie that donned Toshiro's neck. "It's common courtesy. If you're going to be my boyfriend, you're going to have to go through all that formal stuff, too."

"But he's already known me for thirteen years. I'm pretty sure he already knows what I'm like."

"Come on, midget," Karin smiled, nudging Toshiro towards the doorbell. "It shouldn't be that hard. My dad loves you anyways, so I'm sure this dinner won't be any different from any other."

Toshiro gulped and knocked on the door.

"Karin!"

"Shut it, Oyaji," Karin muttered, slamming her fist into her father's face. "Dad, Toshiro's here, too."

Toshiro bowed dubiously until Isshin had enveloped into a large bear hug. "Toshiro! I'm glad you're here with my Karin! Make good grandchildren for me!"

Toshiro turned red and wiggled out of the eccentric father's grasp. Karin rolled her eyes and shoved past her father, tugging her boyfriend along by the hand.

"Karin!"

The raven-haired collegian's face lit up at the sight of her sister, who bounced from the couch to her twin sister to engulf her in a hug. "Hi Yuzu," Karin laughed warmly, "I haven't seen you in a while."

"Mo!" Yuzu whined pulling back to take a glimpse at her sister's face. "You've gotten prettier since I've seen you! I think it's Toshiro," she said, waggling her eyebrows.

Karin chuckled at her sister's antics. "Where's Ichi-nii?"

Yuzu shrugged. "He's probably upstairs. I don't think he's very happy about you dating Toshiro," she whispered.

Karin laughed. "I bet he's not. Ichi-nii's not happy with anything I do," she said, grabbing Toshiro by the waist and pulling him towards her.

Isshin watched the couple laugh from afar. Despite the fun and jokes, he wasn't kidding about what he said. His daughter and her friend-ahem-Karin laughed. "I bet he's not. Ichi-nii's not happy with anything I do," she said, grabbing Toshiro by the waist and pulling him towards her.

Isshin watched the couple laugh from afar. Despite the fun and jokes, he wasn't kidding about what he said. His daughter and her friend-ahem-_boyfriend_, looked good together. Just watching them reminded him of his days as a bashful boyfriend. He chuckled quietly to himself as he unconsciously wrung the gold ring around his ring finger.

…

Brothers (Black Rose)- 20 years old

He didn't like it. He didn't like it one little bit.

Sure- he had know the boy for quite a few years; ever since Karin had brought him home one day thirteen years ago, it had seemed like he had become another part of the family. In fact, Ichigo even thought of him as a little brother.

But little brothers weren't supposed to marry little sisters. Ichigo scowled and flopped on his bed.

"Idiot, what are you whining about now?"

A petite, violet-eyed beauty walked into the room, her arms crossed. "Rukia?" Ichigo called, turning his attention to the doorway.

"Who else would it be?" Rukia scoffed and leaned on the wall.

"Go away, midget."

Rukia perked an eyebrow. "You're being immature. Hitsugaya-san is a good match for Karin."

Ichigo pouted. "That's what you say. Karin's not ready for a relationship, much less one with a boy."

Rukia snorted. "And who are you expecting she be with? A girl?"

"No, I'm just saying she's not ready for love yet."

"Ichigo, she'll never be ready in your eyes. I mean, she's your little sister. Imagine how nii-sama felt about me marrying a ruffian like you."

"Hey! I'm not a ruffian!"

Rukia rolled her eyes. "Yeah right. Just get downstairs, you dummy. Karin's waiting for you."

Ichigo watched his fiancée leave and pondered over his actions. Was it right to be against her relationship with Toshiro so much? After all, all Ichigo cared for was his family's happiness. His world revolved around protecting his family and making them happy. So if Karin was happy, was it his right to intervene?

Ichigo sighed, but stood up. He'd go downstairs and deal with it, he decided. However, he was going to have a _long _talk with Toshiro later.

…

Photography (FrostyNight98)- 27 years old

She had been the photographer for quite a few weddings, but she had never felt more compelled to do a request in her entire career. The bride and the groom were just so _adorable_. In addition, she had known them for three years; keeping in touch with the couple despite everything that went on in their lives.

She first crashed into them during a photo shoot in Hawaii, taking a request from a rather snotty duo. While she didn't enjoy her first meeting with the rich couple, she did enjoy the fact that the pair had offered to pay for her trip and all expenses- just to take photos of them during their wedding and honeymoon. So she took the offer, despite her irritation at the wife for all her ignorance and stuffiness, and the husband for his know-it-all nature.

She was relieved when she ran into Karin and Hitsugaya-taicho, crashing into them, literally, at a small bar. The raven-haired woman was quite sweet, helping her up, and asked her if she needed help getting home. Her companion, however, seemed to ignore her and Matsumoto was quite indignant when the white-haired man was mentioned.

Even though she didn't get along with the man at first, eventually, she warmed up to their ways. She had found that the man, Hitsugaya-taicho, had absolutely refused being called by his name, first or last, without a proper suffix- his lover being the only exception. So Matsumoto had called him Hitsugaya-taicho jokingly, and somehow, it just stuck.

She traveled around Hawaii with the duo, ditching her beach time and the strip malls to hang out with the couple. Of course, she was still on duty, but Matsumoto realized that she wasn't as petulant as before.

So being a photographer for the eccentric couple's wedding was especially exciting. In addition, she had secretly taken photos of them during the Hawaii trip, finding that their special moments were unexpectedly endearing. She also had a collection of photos of other places they went to together, because Karin never forgot to ask the busty woman to join them on a vacation.

And while Matsumoto declined many, she still had an adequate amount of photos to create a slideshow for them as a present on their wedding day. Of course, in addition to the sake she had specially prepared for Hitsugaya-taicho and his soon-to-be wife.

She hummed joyfully. She couldn't _wait_ to see Karin in her dress.

…

Pregnancy (Guest)- 31 years old

-Trimester 1-

"Karin? Are you sleeping already?"

Toshiro watched as his usually energetic wife crashed on the couch. Her shirt moved up a little, revealing a small baby bump.

"Yeah," Karin groaned, leaning on her side and curling herself up. "Can you do the laundry for me this week? I feel so exhausted."

Toshiro sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I guess. Feel better."

…

"Are you sleeping _again?_"

"I can't help my body, okay? Just let me sleep!" Karin huffed, turning away from him on the bed.

Toshiro was surprised at the outburst; his wife was never so easily bothered. He idly wondered if it was the pregnancy.

-Trimester 2-

It was the pregnancy, Toshiro thought, as his wife crawled towards him with a feral grin on her face. For a while, she had been so tired and had refused to have any form of intercourse with him. Her attitude had also been out-of-control. Anything that he had previously known about Karin had gone, replacing his image of the hard-headed woman with the easily irritable, hormonal, crying wife.

But now, she had taken at complete 360 and the same Karin he had married had come back. He had thought all the mood swings were over, until he realized- it _was _Karin, to the extreme. By his observations, the second trimester included extra energy (which meant laundry done, more cookies on the counter, house spotless, and _way _more jogging than he needed), lots of eating out (of course, depended on what she preferred), and although he didn't want to admit he enjoyed it- a heightened sex drive.

Toshiro shook his head as his wife pounced on him and started to take his shirt off. Oh, the joys of pregnancy.

-Trimester 3-

Oh, how he hated pregnancy. After the second trimester had come and gone, things had taken a turn for the worse. Her drowsiness had returned, and she had trouble moving around because of the big 'ol beer belly. Of course, he never referred to her stomach as that aloud; he learned his lesson after five boxes of tissues wasted, his favorite watermelon gone, and hours of sitting with her on the ground until she had finally calmed.

Her cravings had also taken a turn for the worse. Sometimes, it could be egg with barbeque sauce and string cheese, or it could be a sandwich filled with cantaloupe and ramen. Other times, it was rice filled with red bean and wasabi, something she referred to as "a gift from the gods." Toshiro had politely refused that creation of hers.

Toshiro silently prayed to no one in particular, as he was vacuuming, that it would be over soon, and these nine months would be a dream.

...

It's the Little Things that Count (Light Dmon James)- 39 years old

One thing Karin noticed was that the years went by fast. It had been thirty-two years since she and her lover had met, nineteen years since they had been going out, twelve years since they've gotten married, and seven years since they've had their first child. Karin couldn't even fathom how she had gotten so old so quickly, wrinkles of old age and gray hairs already appearing on her body.

She looked out the window of her old bedroom, and looked over the streets of Karakura. It had definitely changed since she had been a kid, and she's found many of her old friends here as well, having their own little families like Toshiro and Karin had.

Her kids always tell her that she forgets things too easily, and it's true. She does forget the big things, such as dental appointments, school plays, and the like. Even while she's working, she'll forget that her kids are in the other room, fighting and screaming like a pack of ill-tempered banshees.

Nevertheless, she never forgets the little things, which she finds they always count. Things like kisses on the cheek when they say goodbye before hopping on the bus, helping them with homework, spending a little cash on a fast food place just to please her little ones. She's found that through those little moments that seem like they don't matter create a larger picture. Karin smiles.

She can't wait to see it.

...

Unexpected (FrostyNight98)- 50 years old

His wife, aging gracefully and stubbornly, still looks like she's forty years old. Even though he and his kids keep insisting that she still looks young, she adamantly denies it, waving her well-worn hand at them and ranting about guilt and aging.

Despite her age, his wife is also an avid jogger. Although she doesn't play soccer anymore, physical exercise is still a major part of her daily life. Toshiro finds that even he has trouble keeping up with his gray-haired wife as they jog and walk around the neighborhood in the mornings and evenings.

Some may think that over time, he would get bored of her, especially after knowing her for forty-three years. However, Karin's never bored him, and he never knows what to expect from the brash woman. In fact, the unexpected has become the new normal for him.

Whether it's parachuting at age 29 or hiking the Grand Canyon at age 48, Toshiro realizes that his wife is everything, and even more, than what he's ever asked for. His raven-haired companion keeps him on his toes, drives him nuts, and makes him so irritated all he can see is red, but he realizes that his heart, nevertheless, belongs to one and one only.

_Hitsugaya_ Karin.

**…**

**It's done! Despite the long waits and the oneshots and drabbles that may or may not be well-done, A Year- excuse me, a _Month _of HitsuKarin is done. :D**

**I hope you enjoyed it and I would still absolutely love your thoughts. Even though I haven't gotten around to thanking you all for following, favoriting, and reviewing. I appreciate all your support and hope you will continue to follow my work in the future.**

**Thanks all and review. (:**


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